The Assassin Bride
by CeruleanSwan26
Summary: *NEW REVIEWS BRING NEW CHS.**Older characters years after anime arc* Seto was furious with Mokuba for signing him up to be on an arranged marriage show, but is surprised and thrilled to have a bride who is beautiful, kind, strong, and mysterious; however, she has a DARK past that eventually comes back to haunt her when 2 acquaintances recognize her. Will their marriage survive?
1. The Reluctant Groom

**A/N:** Hello my dear fans and new readers! Welcome to The Assassin Bride! This story has been churning in my head for a couple years or so now, and I am finally able to start working on it. Just before we get started with the story, I have some terms and conditions and things to remember.

This will be years after the main anime arc, when Seto, Mokuba, and Bakura are older, and dealing with their lives. Bakura will have his own pairing here, and he will be DARK. An older, dark Marik will also make an appearance. This story is inspired by the show "Married at First Sight." Yes, Seto may be awkward, but keep in mind, he has no romantic experience with women.

**UPDATE (11/28/19):** This will focus on Seto and my OC's romance. Bakura and Marik will make an appearance as part of my OC's past, but Bakura will ***NOT*** have his own romance. Why? The OC he would have had a romance with was created by my now former best friend, dark-kokoro. I cannot use her character. The story will still be compelling regardless.

Just like in The Fiery Guardian, this story will:

*focus on their lives years after the anime

*have romance

*have graphic sex scenes, (and unlike The Fiery Guardian, violence/torture scenes) and you will have advanced warning, and they will be marked in case you wish to skip them for any reason

*have chapters that will not be released without at least ONE new review of the previous chapter(s) (**CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISMS are acceptable. CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISMS include something I did right, and something I could improve on, in a CIVIL manner.** I also enjoy hearing about what you enjoyed most. Flames/ bully/troll reviews will NOT be tolerated. Flames/ bully/troll reviews are when they are nothing but insults and don't offer anything helpful that can be improved on.)

*likely take a while and have long chapters

*briefly mention dueling (the focus is on the story sequence)

If my terms and conditions are acceptable, please, continue and enjoy!

* * *

Seto couldn't believe this was happening. He was fuming silently as he stood next to a justice of the peace, at the end of a wedding aisle in a hotel garden that was decorated beautifully with autumnal decorations. Why did Mokuba have to sign him up for this damned show? He was feeling utterly humiliated and exposed as he stood there waiting for the mystery bride with whom he'd been matched with by a team of "experts" in front of a small crowd of his closest staff, the "experts", and a few people on his bride's side of the aisle. Sure, it was a small crowd here, but this was going to be on TV, and eventually the tabloids. He had wanted to get married eventually, but not like this. He gave a sour look to his 19-year-old brother standing at his side as his best man.

"I can't believe you signed me up for this… this makes me feel so foolish, desperate, and humiliated," Seto grumbled quietly to his brother.

"There wasn't much choice. You were lonely. You may not want to admit you were, but I noticed it. Plus, it was time to start following your other dreams of having a family. That wasn't going to happen unless I helped you by signing you up for 'Mystery Spouse.' You didn't have any marriageable women to choose from either," Mokuba retorted.

"I could have signed up for a matchmaker," Seto grumbled.

"But you weren't going to," Mokuba shot back quietly. Seto sighed heavily; he was right. The guests were uncomfortable at their exchange. Though he was still young at 25, and people would surely tell him that "he still had time to find someone," but the only women who wanted to be with him wanted only to sleep with him, and his money. Everyone else was too afraid of him. A matchmaker may have matched him with some women, but it would have been too frustrating for him. This ridiculous show was probably his best option.

His heart leaped in his throat as "Pachelbel's Canon" began to play and a couple of bridesmaids wearing purple bridesmaid dresses started walking down the aisle, scattering fall leaves and red and orange rose petals. He swallowed nervously as his eyes were focused on the end of the aisle, as were everyone else's. When the song ended, the traditional wedding march played, and a lovely, muscular woman with crystal blue eyes and a retro, deep scarlet updo, scar tissue on the left side of her face and her left arm, wearing a long, mermaid style, strapless, ivory, lace gown with a sweetheart neckline, and an ivory, lace veil adorned by a silver tiara appeared at the end of the aisle by herself. Everyone gasped at her beauty. Seto was stunned that he was paired with such a gorgeous, mysterious woman. What was the catch? She was so beautiful, she could have ANY man she wanted, but she willingly went along with this and got matched on this show. Her crystal blue eyes looked up and focused on him, and her full, red lips, broke into a smile, as she made her way gracefully down the aisle towards him, carrying her bouquet of red, yellow, and orange roses and wildflowers. She was regal and had a mysterious aura about her.

_"Jackpot," his inner self said excitedly. _

_"You're telling me," Seto agreed._ She made it to the end of the aisle and took his hand with her French-manicured hand and stood with him, while her bridesmaid took her bouquet. He felt a small spark in her grip.

"Hello handsome," his bride greeted him. Seto's heart fluttered a little at the way she said it. He wasn't normally prone to such flattery, but he felt enchanted. She had such a beautiful voice too.

"Hello, beautiful," Seto replied awkwardly and felt embarrassed.

The justice of the peace took over. "Seto Kaiba, meet Anastasia Phoenix," the justice of the peace introduced them.

"It's nice to meet you, Seto Kaiba," Anastasia told him.

"Likewise, Anastasia Phoenix," Seto replied. At least that was less awkward. Mokuba was thrilled! Seto got paired with a beautiful, regal woman who seemed sweet, as well as strong! Anastasia smiled at Seto and turned to him. They recited the traditional vows and exchanged the rings he had chosen. Seto put a platinum eternity band adorned with sapphires instead of diamonds on her finger, while she put a simple platinum band on his finger.

"With the power vested in me by the City of Domino, I now pronounce you husband and wife, you may kiss your bride," the justice of the peace announced to their guests and them. Seto gulped nervously. He had never kissed a girl, let alone a woman before… Anastasia sensed his nervousness and gave him a light peck on his lips without smearing her lipstick. Seto was surprised, but appreciated her taking control, and being so respectful about it too. She held his hand and they faced their guests.

"It is my pleasure to introduce you to Mr. and Mrs. Seto and Anastasia Kaiba," the justice of the peace introduced them, and their guests cheered and applauded loudly for them as they walked up the aisle. They came back to sign the license and take their wedding photos. Seto was a little nervous and awkward as he took pictures with her, but she was so at ease and so respectful and patient with him. Mokuba had noticed how respectful and patient she was with him and was even happier; she was going to be so good for his brother. After pictures were done, Mokuba went to introduce himself to her.

"Hi Anastasia, I'm Mokuba Kaiba, Seto's brother," Mokuba introduced himself with a big smile lighting up his deep grey eyes.

"Hi Mokuba! It's so nice to meet you," Anastasia greeted with a warm smile lighting up her crystal blue eyes.

"I'm so excited for you to be Seto's wife and moving in with us after the honeymoon!" Mokuba exclaimed excitedly. Anastasia was a little surprised by his excitement, but thought it was sweet and felt welcomed.

"Well I appreciate the warm welcome. You live with Seto, yes?" Anastasia asked in confirmation.

"Yeah, that won't be a problem, will it?" Mokuba asked, suddenly feeling nervous.

"Oh no, not at all," Anastasia replied with a kind smile. She didn't mind him being there. It was their home. Mokuba was relieved she was okay with it. He happily introduced her to the staff, particularly, Roland, Rosa, and Edward. Rosa wrapped her in a warm, bear hug, which caught Anastasia off guard for a moment, but Anastasia hugged her back.

"I can't wait for you and Seto to start your married life together," Rosa told her, with a warm smile in her deep brown eyes. She wasn't sure at first about him being on "Mystery Spouse." She hoped that he got matched to a good wife who would be strong, kind, and patient with him and Mokuba, especially after all they'd been through. She considered them like her sons, and Seto deserved a good marriage, despite his reputation. Her prayers were answered when she saw Anastasia, and how kind and patient she was to Seto and Mokuba. Now she was praying Seto didn't frighten her away.

"Are you all going to be okay with having cameras in the house for 10 hours a day or so?" Anastasia asked. She knew it would be awkward, and she was trying to be considerate of Seto's staff and Mokuba's feelings about it.

"Oh honey, we'll be okay," Rosa assured her.

"We're used to cameras all the time on Mr. Kaiba and Mokuba," Roland assured her.

"Oh, nice," Anastasia replied. She was a little nervous about having cameras on her all the time, but she'd manage. She'd been in way tougher situations. Seto watched her interacting with his brother and staff and she was so warm with them. He really appreciated how well she got along with them.

"May I steal my bride?" Seto asked as he grabbed Anastasia's hand.

"Oh sure! Of course, big bro!" Mokuba replied.

"Certainly Mr. Kaiba!" Rosa, Roland, Edward and the staff consented.

"It was a pleasure to meet you," Anastasia bade and walked with her new husband. "Would you like to meet my guests?" Anastasia offered.

"Sure," Seto consented and met her guests, most of whom were from her work, at The Domino Pen, the publishing company in town, and some friends. She had no family there whatsoever, which he thought strange. He pulled her to their table so he could talk to her and get to know her better.

"Hi," he greeted awkwardly.

"Hi," she echoed.

"I…figured… we should talk… and get to know each other…" Seto told her awkwardly and nervously. He had never had a girlfriend let alone a date before.

"Okay, sounds good," Anastasia agreed and smiled and held his hand to try to help him relax.

"I…noticed that… your guests are only coworkers and friends… may…I ask why your family isn't here?" Seto broached carefully.

"I don't have family, well, until now," Anastasia replied ruefully. Seto felt bad for her. He at least had Mokuba, and his staff, and now her, but she had nobody until she married him.

"Oh, I'm sorry. What happened to them?" Seto asked curiously, but realized it may have sounded insensitive. "Sorry… you don't have to tell me if you don't want to," Seto added.

"The short answer is I am retired military, and everything in my old life doesn't exist anymore," Anastasia replied.

"Wait, you were in the military? What branch?" Seto probed. He wasn't expecting his bride to be ex-military. No wonder she was so strong.

"I'm not allowed to discuss that. It's top secret classified," Anastasia replied deadpan. She really was not allowed to discuss anything about her past, especially her service.

"Oh ok, sorry," Seto apologized. "You could have any choice of guy you want and you signed up for 'Mystery Spouse'? Why?" Seto asked. He had to know what made her come on this show.

"I wanted to try something new and be matched with a quality match from an expert," Anastasia replied easily.

"You needed help?" Seto asked surprised.

"Yeah," Anastasia admitted. "What made you sign up for 'Mystery Spouse'?"

"I didn't sign up, Mokuba signed me up. He noticed that I was lonely and thought it was time to pursue my dream of starting a family, but I didn't have any good wife material candidates. I wasn't happy that he signed me up without my consent, and I wasn't expecting to have a match at all. Nobody wanted me because they're either gold-diggers who want to have sex with me for my money and they don't care about me enough to get to know me as a person, or afraid of me because I'm cold and an asshole, as a result of how my cruel stepfather treated me and Mokuba growing up. My stepfather also never taught me ANYTHING except business and technology; NOTHING else mattered. I also have no experience with women, and nobody would be patient enough with me. I'm also terrified I will screw up the marriage and be left alone forever should it fail," Seto explained glumly. Anastasia squeezed his hand and caressed his face with her other hand, forcing his sapphire eyes to look into her crystal blue eyes. There was such a warmth and kindness in her eyes that he had never seen before in any eyes, save for Mokuba's and his staff's, and long ago, his parents'. She seemed to genuinely care.

"You're going to be just fine. I've survived numerous brushes with death. You're not likely going to scare me away. I'm determined to do my part and make this marriage work. I am very interested in getting to know all I can about you and Mokuba, and bond with you too," Anastasia told him sincerely and kissed his cheek. Seto felt himself smile just a little. Anastasia let go of his hand and they were served their food, and they ate together. They mingled with their guests a little, took more pictures, and the DJ called them for their first dance. Seto felt anxious… he had never danced with a woman before either. The DJ played "All of Me," by John Legend, and Anastasia had him wrap his arms around her waist, while she wrapped her arms behind his neck, and they swayed in circles on the floor to the song, middle school dance style. Seto was relaxed and appreciated how she was trying to make things easier for him. After the dance, it was time to cut their blue and white floral cake, together. They then fed each other a bite of the cake, so carefully. They went back to the dance floor and danced among their guests. Then it was time to throw the garter and the bouquet. All of Anastasia's single female friends gathered on the dance floor and she tossed the throwing bouquet with red, orange, and yellow silk roses, silk autumn leaves, silk sunflowers, and silk marigolds, and one of her friends caught it. After the ladies cleared the floor, a chair was pulled out for Anastasia to sit down and for Seto to get the garter. Seto gulped, feeling a little anxious that he would be going under her dress to get the garter. The DJ played some saucy music as Anastasia sat down, and Seto went under her dress, blushing red, and quickly grabbed her garter after briefly touching her strong leg, and came out from under her dress. Anastasia got up and moved out of the way while single guys came for the garter toss. Seto tossed the garter behind him as hard as he could, and one of the single guys caught it. They took pictures with the catchers, and it was time to go to their hotel room. Mokuba handed Seto's wedding gift for Anastasia to Seto and hugged him and promised to see him later.

"Good night Mokuba," Seto bade his brother.

"Good night Seto. Have a good first night with Anastasia," Mokuba bade and was helping the staff load their wedding gifts into the limo to take them back to the mansion. Anastasia had gotten her clutch purse with her wedding gift for Seto inside and bade good-bye to her friends and co-workers, and also Mokuba and the staff. Anastasia went to Seto and took his hand, and they got the key to their room, where their suitcases were moved.

"That was a lovely wedding," Anastasia told Seto as they were in the elevator.

"Yeah it was. It was a lot better than I expected," Seto admitted.

"Oh?" Anastasia asked surprised.

"Well, like I said, I wasn't sure what to expect… Mokuba signed me up for this… and I did end up getting a beautiful, caring wife," Seto explained. Anastasia smiled.

"That you did. And I got an amazingly sweet and handsome husband," Anastasia agreed. Seto smiled a little again, and then they walked hand in hand to their room. Seto unlocked the door with the key, put the door stop in, and swept her off her feet in his arms to carry her over the threshold. Anastasia giggled as she held onto him as he carried her to the bed and gently dropped her on the bed that was covered in red, pink, and white rose petals in a heart shape. He put the Do Not Disturb sign on the door so they could rest properly, and shut the door and sat with her on the bed. He was nervous now. He gulped and was trying to calm down… it was time to consummate the marriage.

"Honey? What's wrong?" Anastasia asked as she saw him starting to freak out.

"We…are supposed to…c-c-consummate the marriage…" Seto stammered nervously. He had no idea what to do and he wasn't ready. Anastasia sat up on the bed and squeezed his hand.

"We COULD, but we aren't, at least not yet," Seto was stunned as he heard that and looked at her to be sure. Her face was serious to match what she said.

"We…aren't?" Seto echoed surprised, and felt a tidal wave of relief.

"No," Anastasia confirmed.

"But…isn't that what is supposed to happen on the wedding night?" Seto asked.

"Sometimes, but sometimes it happens before the wedding, sometimes it happens later, and this is a case where it is definitely okay for it to happen later. We just met a few hours ago, and you're not ready. We won't make love until YOU'RE ready," Anastasia promised. Seto smiled.

"Thank you," Seto replied genuinely grateful. Anastasia smiled and gave him a peck on his lips. Seto blushed. "I have something for you," Seto told her and handed her a wrapped box. Anastasia smiled and took it.

"Thank you, honey," she replied and then handed him the skinny, wrapped box from her clutch. Seto smiled as he took it.

"Thank you, Anastasia," he said and they both opened their gifts. Seto admired the nice watch she had given him, and Anastasia gasped at the beautiful locket and opened it. Inside was a picture of Seto and Mokuba.

"Thank you!" they exclaimed together and chuckled.

"I wasn't sure what else to give you, but you can never go wrong with a nice watch," Anastasia explained.

"I gave you a locket with our picture so you could have us close to your heart," Seto explained.

"Aww! That's so sweet! Thank you!" Anastasia told him with a sweet, gentle peck on the lips, and she turned around so he could put it on her. Seto opened the clasp and put it on for her, and she admired it in the mirror. "I love it!" Seto beamed with pride and joy. She looked good with it.

"It looks good on you," Seto complimented her.

"Thank you, honey," Anastasia told him with a smile. "Excuse me a moment, I'm going to get into something more comfortable," she said as she got a white, lace nightgown from her suitcase, and got a washcloth and went to the bathroom to change and remove her makeup. Seto got his light blue pajamas with the tiny Blue Eyes White Dragon embroidered on his pocket, changed out of his suit into his pajamas, and sat on the bed. He wasn't sure about sleeping next to her, but she made him feel so comfortable and safe. As long as it was just sleeping, maybe it would be okay?

She came out of the bathroom in the white, lace nightgown, with her locket, sans makeup, and her scarlet hair was loose and curly and cascaded past her shoulders, and Seto couldn't help staring at her. She was so stunning, and dare he admit, sexy. Anastasia noticed that he was admiring her, and she smirked, but didn't say anything.

_"Are you teasing him?" Anastasia's inner self asked her as she noticed how he was admiring her. _

_"That wasn't the plan," Anastasia answered. _

_"Well, he's definitely admiring you from head to toe," her inner self pointed out. _

_"He's allowed to, he's my husband," Anastasia retorted and climbed into bed under the covers next to him. _

"So, like what you see?" Anastasia asked him point blank. Seto was not expecting that and he choked on his answer.

"Yes," Seto admitted with a crimson blush. Anastasia chuckled.

"Good, I should hope so," Anastasia retorted playfully. Seto chuckled a little, realizing that she was being playful. "So, let's continue talking," she prompted.

"Okay, what should we talk about?" Seto asked.

"I know I told you that we're going to wait for when you're ready to make love, but I think we should at least talk about our…sex-pectations," Anastasia broached.

"Our…sex-pectations?" Seto echoed with a chestnut eyebrow raised skeptically over his sapphire eye.

_"How corny," Seto thought. _

_"But it's cute, and clever," his inner self countered. _

"Yes, our expectations for sex," Anastasia confirmed.

"I feel… awkward… talking about it," Seto admitted embarrassed.

"I feel the sooner we discuss it, the better, and we can get it out of the way," Anastasia pointed out gently.

_"That's fair," Seto's inner self told him. _

"…Ok," Seto consented and took a breath as he steeled himself for this conversation. Oh, this was going to be sooo awkward…

"Alright, so what do you know about sex?" Anastasia asked gently.

"…Very little," Seto admitted embarrassed.

"There's no need to be embarrassed," Anastasia pointed out gently. "I'm not here to judge, I'm just here to gauge what you know, so I can work with that, when the time comes," Anastasia explained. Seto nodded; that made sense.

"Like I said before, the only things I learned from my step-father were business, and being cold and mean to others. I did take anatomy in school, but I don't remember much of it," Seto explained.

"Well, I can teach you what I know, or I can get a professional to teach you about it after the honeymoon," Anastasia offered.

"A professional?" Seto asked quizzically. What did she mean by that?

"A doctor, who specializes in sexual health, can teach you about anatomy, what happens during sex, diseases, protection and contraception, and pregnancy, and anything else they can cover," Anastasia clarified.

"Oh," Seto replied as he understood and he thought about it. "I think I want you to tell me what you know, and go over that together," Seto replied. He'd feel too embarrassed about talking to a doctor about it.

"Alright, ask away," Anastasia invited. Seto asked her questions for a couple hours, and Anastasia patiently answered each one, and even pulled up statistics, facts, and pictures/diagrams on her phone to show him so he could understand. Seto squeezed her hand.

"Thank you, for teaching me about sex, and being so patient and thorough and so non-judgmental about it," Seto told her genuinely appreciating it.

"My pleasure, honey," Anastasia told him with a peck.

"I'd prefer a different term of endearment," Seto requested.

"Like what?" Anastasia asked. Seto thought about it.

"Dragon?" Seto suggested with a blush.

"Dragon?" Anastasia echoed to confirm. Seto nodded. "Alright, sure, dragon," Anastasia consented and tried it out. Seto chuckled. He did like it. Anastasia chuckled with him.

"What would you prefer to be called?" Seto asked.

"Whatever you want, as long as it's appropriate," Anastasia replied.

"Alright, sweetheart," Seto tried out. Anastasia smiled, and Seto smiled back.

"Okay, now that we got sex-ed out of the way, when you are ready, we'll make love with condoms, so you can figure out what you like, without me getting pregnant. Sex is kinda hard while pregnant. It can be done, but it's harder. You have to be more careful with it," Anastasia offered.

"Wait, what?" Seto asked surprised. "You were pregnant?" Anastasia nodded grimly.

"…Do you have children?" Seto asked carefully. Anastasia shook her head.

"What happened?" Seto asked curiously.

"I had a previous engagement with my former partner, but he betrayed me…" Anastasia began.

"And you lost the baby?" Seto offered. Anastasia nodded grimly.

"He poisoned me and our son. Our son didn't make it, I barely survived. Then I found out he joined the enemy, and he had another woman right away after he tried to kill me," Anastasia explained. Seto was utterly shocked. She just shared a shocking, intimate detail with him. She had been pregnant, engaged, betrayed, and nearly murdered, and lost her son. And she had also survived other numerous brushes with death on top of that with her military service.

_"Well, I guess you're even now, you shared with her your lack of sexual knowledge, and she shared with you her painful experience," his inner self remarked. Seto was still stunned. _

"Oh sweetheart, I'm so sorry… are you okay?" Seto asked as he held her close.

"Yeah, I'm okay. It was a few years ago, but sometimes the memory stings," Anastasia answered and nestled into his embrace.

"I understand. I'd never do that to you," Seto promised. Anastasia smiled.

"I appreciate that," Anastasia replied. "Well, my dragon, I'm sorry for putting a damper on the mood of getting to know each other."

"No, don't worry about it. I appreciate you sharing with me," Seto told her. "So, tell me about what you like?"

"I love painting, arts and crafts in general, sewing, reading, writing, my job, martial arts, music, movies, and animals," Anastasia answered.

"That's interesting. What kind of music and movies do you like? What kind of books do you like?" Seto asked.

"I like mostly pop, rock, and oldies, other countries' music. Movies, I like action movies and comedies. And I like romance books, mysteries, fantasies, sci-fi, thrillers, and autobiographies," Anastasia replied, cheering up a bit. "What do you enjoy?"

"I like playing chess, spending time with Mokuba, creating new technology at work, going to KaibaLand, duel monsters and dueling, and I especially love Blue Eyes White Dragons," Seto answered.

"Is that the dragon on your pocket?" Anastasia asked.

"Yes, it is," Seto replied.

"Maybe you could teach me about dueling?" Anastasia offered. Seto smiled that she was willing to take an interest in dueling.

"Sure," Seto agreed. It would be nice to have another new partner to play with.

"Cool, thank you," Anastasia replied. "So, what do you dislike?"

"I dislike disloyalty, disrespect, lies, the loser squad, owing people, and abuse of children," Seto responded.

"No kidding! Me too, well, except the loser squad bit. I also hate abuse in general, sexism, racism, hate towards people who are LGBTQ+, injustice, stupidity," Anastasia replied. Seto smiled. He would get along quite well with her.

"Oh, the loser squad is a group of third-rate duelists who never cease to annoy me, led by a punk kid named Yugi Mutou with spiky red, yellow, and purple hair," Seto explained.

"Oh," Anastasia replied. "Well, hopefully we never have to see them." Seto chuckled wryly.

"In Domino, we're bound to run into them at some point, but I agree, I hope we don't have to see them," Seto agreed. They both started to get tired, and decided to go to bed.

"Goodnight, sweetheart," Seto bade.

"Goodnight, dragon," Anastasia bade. Seto decided to be a little bold and kissed her lips in a peck. Anastasia smiled and went to turn off the light and rejoined him in bed. Seto pulled her closer to his body and sighed contently as he fell asleep holding her close to him. They both slept peacefully, enjoying each other's embrace.

* * *

The next morning, they had gotten up and taken separate showers, and gotten dressed and went to the brunch with Mokuba, Rosa, Roland, and Edward. Seto wore the watch she had given him, and she wore the locket he'd given her, and they were both holding hands.

"Hey big bro! Hey Anastasia! How was your first night together?" Mokuba asked eagerly.

"It was great, we exchanged gifts, and just talked and got to know each other, and held each other in our sleep," Seto recounted.

"Wow, really? What did she give you?" Mokuba asked. Seto showed him the watch.

"That's a nice watch, Mr. Kaiba," Roland told him.

"It really is. That's so nice. Anastasia, how did you like the locket?" Mokuba asked. Anastasia lifted her head so he could see it around her neck.

"I love it, it was so sweet and touching," Anastasia told them proudly. Mokuba beamed.

"So, Anastasia, are you allergic to any particular foods?" Rosa asked. Anastasia told her some foods she didn't like or didn't agree with her, which was just a few things, and she told her some of her favorite foods. Seto listened intently.

"Rosa makes the best food ever!" Mokuba praised her.

"Aww, thank you Mokuba," Rosa beamed.

"Well, I can't wait to try it," Anastasia told her. Rosa smiled. They ate their brunch together, and then one of the producers came with a box for Seto and Anastasia.

"This is your box for your honeymoon clue and your itinerary," the producer explained.

"Ooh, interesting," Anastasia remarked as she took the box.

"Dragon, let's open it together," Anastasia offered.

"Dragon?" Mokuba, Rosa, Roland, and Edward asked confused.

"It's the term of endearment Seto requested me to use," Anastasia explained.

"Oh!" they exclaimed as they understood. Seto opened the box with her and saw that they were going to Hawaii, and they were going to Oahu and Maui, on a tour booked by Hawaii Tours. They were going to stay in 2 4-star hotels; they were going on a guided tour around Oahu to see the top attractions including the Dole Plantation, North Shore Beaches, the Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Farm, Nu'u Pali Overlook, the rugged South Coast of Oahu, the Polynesian Cultural Center, Pearl Harbor, The National Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl Crater, the King Kamehameha Statue and Iolani Palace; and then a romantic sunset dinner cruise. Then, in Maui they were going to pick up their vehicle (either a convertible or jeep); do the Road to Hana tour to see tropical rainforests, waterfalls, national and state parks; the black sand beach, the famous Oheo Gulch with the 7 pools, and have a picnic lunch; they were going to do a helicopter tour over West Maui and Molokai; exploring Maui in their vehicle; touring the town of Laihana; snorkeling in Molokini Crater and Turtle Town; and finally, they were going to go to a traditional luau and a buffet with some of the island's tastiest traditional and local foods; and taking the last day before checkout to explore more of the island or get souvenirs.

"Yay! We're going to Hawaii! I've always wanted to go!" Anastasia exclaimed happily. Her crystal blue eyes were lit up with joy like the sun on the Pacific Ocean.

"Well, a tropical vacation sounds nice," Seto agreed. He thought the joy in her eyes was beautiful and sweet.

_"Plus, you get to see her in a bikini," his inner self teased, waggling his eyebrows. _

_"Mhm," Seto agreed and had thought about it for a minute. _

"Well, let's start getting ready to go," Anastasia suggested and thanked Mokuba, Rosa, Edward, and Roland for joining them. She really enjoyed brunch with them; they were so sweet. She gave them hugs, and Seto hugged Mokuba.

"I'll take care of everything at work. You just worry about having fun, and taking pictures," Mokuba ordered Seto. Seto really deserved a vacation. He'd been working so much and so hard.

"Thanks Mokuba," Seto told him with a hug, and he went up to the room with Anastasia to get their things together for their honeymoon. They had plenty of time to get ready and go since their flight wasn't until 6:55 p.m. tonight. They took their time packing. They had finished about 1:00 p.m., so they had about 4 hours to kill. Once they were sure they had everything together, they decided to walk around and hang out a bit. They went to a restaurant nearby to get a light lunch and talk. They ordered the food, and settled in to talk.

"So, tell me more about you," Anastasia commanded.

"What would you like to know?" Seto asked.

"What are your normal daily habits?" Anastasia asked.

"Well, I wake up about 5 or 6 a.m., I wake up Mokuba, I take a shower and get ready for work, have some black coffee and breakfast, and then Mokuba and I get in the limo and go to work, and spend all day there. We work late pretty often, and get home about 8 or so and have dinner, relax a little, and then go to bed. That's pretty much life. On the weekends, Mokuba and I relax and have playful duels, play chess, or go to KaibaLand. How about yours?"

"Well, I get up at 5 a.m., sometimes a little earlier, I let my dog out, do my morning workouts, shower, get dressed, feed my dog, eat breakfast, go to work, come home at 6:00 p.m., make some dinner, feed my dog dinner, clean up, relax, play with my dog a little, get ready for bed, and then repeat. On weekends, I either tidy up the house and do chores, I'll relax, work on my hobbies, or do something fun if something is going on," Anastasia described.

"So, we pretty much have the same schedule," Seto pointed out.

"Yeah, pretty much," Anastasia agreed with a shrug. "If you want, you could work out with me in the mornings," Anastasia invited.

"That sounds nice," Seto replied. "What kind of workouts do you do?"

"Mostly stretches, lifting weights, pole-dancing, martial arts, working on my balance," Anastasia replied. Seto nodded as he thought about it, and was surprised about the pole dancing.

"Pole dancing?" Seto asked surprised.

"Yes. It takes tremendous coordination, strength, and balance," Anastasia replied. Seto nodded.

_"Maybe one day she can show you," his inner self teased and waggled his eyebrows. _

_"Maybe," Seto agreed. He was kind of curious and interested to see her on the pole. _

"Alright, I can teach you dueling if you teach me and Mokuba about martial arts," Seto bargained, changing the subject.

"Alright, and you come home by 6, at the absolute latest," Anastasia added.

"…Deal," Seto agreed.

"Work will always be there. It's never finished. It's healthy to set boundaries with your work life, and spend it with your family, and frankly, I would like to have a nice family dinner with my husband and brother-in-law after work," Anastasia pointed out.

_"She has a point… plus the point of this marriage experiment is to spend as much time with her as possible for 8 weeks to get to know her, and vice versa," his inner self pointed out. _

"That's true…" Seto admitted.

"Good, I'm glad you see it my way," Anastasia replied with a smile. Seto smiled a little.

"This will be a bit of an adjustment," Seto admitted.

"I'm sure it will be, but we'll handle it together," Anastasia promised. Seto smiled.

"Fair enough," Seto agreed. The food came and they ate together. This was so nice. They enjoyed the food together, and after they finished, they shared a dessert, and Seto paid the bill.

"Thank you, my dragon," Anastasia told him with a kiss on his cheek.

"You're welcome, sweetheart," Seto replied with a smile. She had an attitude of gratitude, and he, Mokuba, and the staff really liked that. He took her hand and they walked around a little.

"So, what kind of dog do you have?" Seto asked. He wasn't sure about having a dog around.

"I have a retired MWD, a military working dog, a German Shepherd, named Stella," Anastasia answered.

"A military working dog?" Seto asked surprised, but then again, he remembered she was in the military, so it made sense.

"Yeah, she used to sniff and find bombs and weapons, and she was good at attacking enemies and pulling injured troops out of battle. She got injured and had to be retired, and she needed a home, quickly. I signed up to adopt one, understanding what they went through, and I was given her. She's such a good girl. She's so protective, smart, and such a good guard dog," Anastasia explained. Seto nodded.

"How old is she? Does she have any issues?" Seto asked.

"She's 4, going on 5 next month, on November 16th, and she does have a bit of PTSD, especially with fireworks, and she's got some fire damage on her right side of her face, but she's fine otherwise, and she's missing her front right leg," Anastasia explained and showed him a picture of Stella on her phone.

"Oh, I see. Is she ok? What happened?" Seto asked curiously.

"Oh, she's fine, she can see out of both eyes well, and she gets around pretty well. She even has an artificial leg to help her with her balance. She was rescuing a soldier and she was too close when a bomb went off," Anastasia explained.

"Oh. What's her personality like?" Seto asked.

"She's sweet and playful, when she wants to be, otherwise she is pretty chill. She walks well by your side. She's also quite alert and protective of her pack, and she will sleep on her particular chair, or an orthopedic mattress on the floor, and sometimes she will jump into bed with me." Anastasia replied.

"Where is she now?" Seto asked curiously.

"I have a friend housesitting and staying with her until we get home," Anastasia told him.

"Do you think she will be ok if she moves in with us?" Seto inquired.

"Oh, she'll be fine. It might take her a little bit to adjust, but she'll be ok. You, Mokuba, Roland, Rosa, and Edward will have to meet her," Anastasia assured him.

"Fair enough," Seto agreed. "We've never had a dog before, so you'll have to teach us," Seto told her.

"Sure, of course. Oh, and she's spayed too," Anastasia told him.

"Alright," Seto nodded.

"So, when is your birthday?" Anastasia asked.

"October 25th. And yours?" Seto responded.

"April 4th. When is Mokuba's birthday?" Anastasia inquired.

"His is July 7th," Seto answered and was trying to think of another question to ask her.

"So, how do you take your coffee in the morning?" Seto asked curiously.

"I prefer Mexican hot cocoa, water, juice, milk, sometimes sodas, and definitely iced tea. Coffee doesn't really agree with me much, but I will drink it occasionally, if I'm craving it. When I crave it, I prefer it iced, creamy, and sweet," Anastasia explained. Seto nodded as he took in the information and was thinking about what to ask her next.

"What is your favorite color?" Seto asked. He wasn't sure what else to ask her, but he was curious.

"Cerulean blue and purple," Anastasia replied. Seto smiled.

"I like blue myself, all shades of blue, but I do like light blue," Seto explained. Anastasia smiled.

"Cool," Anastasia replied, and she noticed that he froze. "Seto? What's wrong?"

"Hey Kaiba!" a young, lean man with blond, red, and purple spiky hair and a navy outfit; a young man with blond hair and a Brooklyn accent; a young woman with long, blond hair, violet eyes, and a skimpy outfit; a young woman with light brown hair and brown eyes and a pink dress; a young man with a brown, pointy pompadour; a young man with long black hair and green eyes wearing a red and black headband and a dice earring; and a young woman with a brown bob and blue eyes called out to him and ran up to them. Anastasia watched.

"Well if it isn't the geek patrol," Seto retorted irritably. Why did they have to show up NOW?

"And you're as rude as eva, Kaiba," the blond young male with the Brooklyn accent shot back. Seto's sapphire eyes narrowed and his lip curled in a snarl. Wheeler's voice grated on his nerves so much, on top of their appearance.

"Don't you ever stop yapping, mutt?" Seto snarled.

"Seto? Who are they?" Anastasia asked curiously. The group turned to her and they were surprised to see a beautiful woman with cascading, wavy, scarlet hair, crystal blue eyes, scars on her left arm and the left side of her face, holding Seto Kaiba's left hand.

"Anastasia, this is Yugi Mutou, Joey Wheeler aka "the mutt," Mai Wheeler, his wife, Serenity Wheeler, his sister, Tristan Taylor, Duke Devlin, and Tea Gardner, but as I know them, they're the loser squad," Seto introduced them to her.

"Nice to meet you, Anastasia!" Yugi and Tea told her cheerfully and shook her hand.

"Um, likewise, I suppose," Anastasia replied awkwardly, a little put off by their enthusiasm.

"We're not as bad as he says, promise," Tristan assured her.

"Ok," Anastasia replied awkwardly. How was she supposed to respond to that?

"So, how do you know Kaiba?" Joey asked curiously.

"Oh, I'm his wife," Anastasia replied and she and Seto showed them their rings.

"WHAT?!" the group asked in shock. "YOU MARRIED HIM?! WHY?"

"What is that supposed to mean?" Anastasia retorted defensively. How dare they insult her marriage to Seto?!

"He's mean and rude!" the group exclaimed.

"Well, you are all being rude to him now. My husband isn't mean or rude to me, and you WILL stop talking about him as such, or I WILL get nasty, and trust me, that is a dangerous game you DON'T want to play," Anastasia told them, her voice and crystal blue eyes getting a sharp, vicious edge. Seto was surprised that she was defending him. True, he is her husband, but nobody had ever defended him like this before. He was impressed. "Now, if you will excuse us," Anastasia said as they started to walk away.

"Oh great… she's just like him," Tristan remarked. Anastasia glared at him, and spun on her heel back to them without taking her glare off him, in an almost owl-like motion.

"I just don't tolerate disrespect of my family very well, now move along, NOW," Anastasia commanded, as her voice started to go down a timbre to a sort of demonic snarl. The group moved away as they saw her getting scarier. They could see a deadly darkness in her eyes that reminded them of when Marik and Bakura's dark alter egos came out, except hers seemed…deadlier.

"Come along, my dragon," Anastasia commanded as she grabbed Seto's hand again and they started walking again.

"Yes, sweetheart," Seto obeyed as he walked with her, holding her hand, still stunned.

_"Holy crap," his inner self remarked astonished. _

"Nicely handled. I wasn't expecting the demon in your voice and eyes to appear. You sure told them off," Seto complimented her, and could feel himself get a bit turned on. He loved how she defended him right away when they started being rude about their marriage.

"Yeah, I'm just glad they were smart enough to back off," Anastasia agreed. Seto smiled.

"Indeed," Seto agreed.

"I can see why you don't like them so much, if they're going to be rude to you like that," Anastasia pointed out. Seto smiled a little wider.

"Well, I'm glad you see it that way," Seto replied and gave her a peck on the lips. Anastasia smiled into the kiss. "They annoy the crap out of me, and they're all sucky duelists, but somehow made it into the championship rounds of my duel monster tournaments. Yugi had the soul of a pharaoh living within him, and I was determined to beat the pharaoh to become King of Games. I should have beaten him numerous times, but he always cheated somehow. After the pharaoh left, I was determined to face him and beat him, and I finally was able to manage to beat him when I traveled to another dimension and came back. Those losers continue to pester me and Mokuba and think we're friends. We're acquaintances at best," Seto explained.

"Oh, I see," Anastasia replied and had gotten a gift idea for him he might enjoy for his birthday in 3 weeks.

"I was hoping to avoid them, but I never seem to be able to," Seto told her.

"Well, hey, put them out of your mind. We're going to Hawaii in a bit," Anastasia reminded him.

"Yeah, you're right," Seto acquiesced. Anastasia nodded and squeezed his hand as they walked.

"So, what are your expectations of me as your wife?" Anastasia asked him.

"Just be loyal, supportive, and communicative, I suppose," Seto replied with a shrug. "What do you expect of me as a husband?"

"Pretty much the same, but I also want you to treat me as your partner, your equal, your best friend, and to trust me, and defend me if I absolutely need it. I'm pretty good at defending myself, but there are other times where I may need help. I want you to stick up for me if someone disrespects me. I also want you to be unafraid to be affectionate with me. I also want you to be unafraid to express how you feel in general. If you are angry with me, talk to me about it so we can work it out. Don't try to belittle me, gaslight me, or strike me. If you have to, go to another room and cool down and then come back to me to talk. I also expect to have couple time with just you every once in a while, like a date night. I also expect you to come home on time so we can spend time together as a family, and be healthy. If you can do all that, I'll do the same for you," Anastasia laid out.

"That seems fair," Seto agreed and shook on it.

"Good," Anastasia smiled and gave him another peck. "So, what would you think your love language is?"

"Love language?" Seto asked confused. Anastasia pulled up the website and showed him, and he took the quiz.

"My top ones were Quality Time and Words of Affirmation," Seto told her.

"No kidding! Quality Time is my top one too!" Anastasia exclaimed.

"What's your second?" Seto asked.

"I don't remember off the top of my head," Anastasia admitted.

"Fair enough. So, what does this mean?"

"It means you enjoy spending time together with your loved ones, and receiving praise, compliments, and affirmations of affection," Anastasia explained.

"That makes sense."

"That will help me know how to communicate effectively with you so you feel appreciated and loved," Anastasia explained.

"Give me an example," Seto requested.

"Ok, I will use tacos as an example," Anastasia began. Seto's eyebrow rose in curiosity. "Words of affirmation: 'Your tacos are delicious!' or 'You make the best tacos!'. Acts of service: 'I made you tacos.' Gift-giving: 'here's a taco.' Physical touch: 'let me hold you like a taco.' Quality Time: 'let's go get tacos,'" Anastasia explained, quoting the meme she had found.

"Oh, I see," Seto replied with a slight chuckle. Anastasia also pulled up a diagram to help him decipher how to communicate with love languages, and he found that helpful too. "Thank you," Seto told her.

"You're welcome, my dragon," Anastasia replied.

"Well, it's time to head back to the hotel and check out, and wait for the limo," Seto told her as he looked at the time.

"Ok," Anastasia replied as they walked back to the hotel, got their things, checked out, and got in the limo that was provided to them by the show, and were taken to the airport. They checked in for their flight, checked their suitcases and got their carryon bags, and went to the gate. Seto went to the agent and asked if he could upgrade their seats to first class, and he paid for the upgrade.

"Thank you, my dragon," Anastasia told him with a peck.

"You're welcome, sweetheart," Seto responded. "I wish we could go in my private plane, but first class would be good in this instance,"

"Yes, it would be," Anastasia agreed. It didn't take long for them to board their plane, and they watched the safety speech and demonstration from the flight attendants and settled in as the plane started taking off. Anastasia was so excited and Seto thought it was amusing and sweet. They settled in and relaxed and watched an in-flight movie together, and they put their armrests up, reclined a bit, and Seto pulled her closer and they fell asleep as much as they could for about 5 hours and 20 minutes or so. Just before they landed, the flight attendants woke them up. They put their chairs up, got up, got their carryon bags, and exited the plane.

* * *

As soon as they were in the Honolulu airport, they saw a bunch of hula and haka dancers dancing and singing for them, and two hula girls were placing leis around each passenger's neck. Seto and Anastasia both got purple leis. Anastasia was excited, and took his hand and they went to wait to get their luggage on the baggage claim carousel with the production crew following them. A few minutes later, they got their bags and found the chauffer holding the Kaiba sign. They followed the chauffer to the limo and the chauffer put their bags in the trunk.

"Thank you," Anastasia told the chauffer politely and the chauffer smiled. They got in the limo with the production crew and were taken to the Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort and Spa. They checked in, got their room keys, and they got a luggage cart, put their luggage on it, and took the elevator to their Seto unlocked the door, and they rolled the cart into the crisp, white, spacious, one-bedroom suite that was accented with breathtaking ocean artwork on the wall above their plush, king-sized bed in a separate room, as well as on a second wall. They also had a glass table, a private balcony with a breathtaking view of the ocean and beach across the street, and 55" TV in the living room. They removed their luggage off the cart and moved it into the bedroom, and saw their bed was decorated with pink, red, white rose petals, and plumeria flowers, in the shape of a heart with their initials inside the heart. They also had a basket of Hawaiian snacks for the week in their room on the dresser.

"Oh, how sweet!" Anastasia exclaimed. The staff had really made sure to add special touches for their honeymoon. Anastasia took a picture of the room with the petals and the basket. They also had a production team member take their picture in their room. Seto had made sure to pick Anastasia up and held her in his arms. Anastasia giggled as he did and gave him a peck, which the producer took a picture of. Seto then put her down, and the producer handed her camera back. Anastasia thanked the producer and turned to Seto.

"I'll be right back, I'm just going to take the cart down to the lobby," Anastasia volunteered.

"We can leave it outside our door and the hotel staff can take it," Seto replied.

"It's more courteous to take it down in the event some other guest needs it," Anastasia protested.

"Alright, if that's what you want to do then, go ahead. When you come back, we can go over the itinerary again and check things out, Seto relented.

"Sounds good, my dragon," Anastasia replied and kissed his cheek, took her room key, put it in her pocket of her shorts, and then took the cart downstairs to the lobby for other guests to use. She got back in the elevator with other guests on the way back up to the suite, making at least 5 stops to let the others off. She got to their suite and entered and saw Seto checking everything out.

"What do you think, my dragon?" Anastasia asked. Seto turned to her.

"This is a nice room. I like it," Seto told her and sat with her on the light blue couch. They looked over the itinerary to plan their schedules and set their alarms, and looked at the maps of the area. They decided to do some shopping first to get some new swimsuits, sunblock, some comfortable clothes, and possibly some souvenirs there at the International Marketplace across the street. They got their room keys, phones, and exchanged phone numbers and other contact information in case they needed to contact each other. Thankfully they had coverage so it was easier to call or text without roaming charges. Anastasia got her purse, slung the strap on her shoulder, put her key and phone in her purse, made sure she had her solar battery chargers in case they needed them, and zipped her purse. Seto put his key and phone in his pocket and they went downstairs to the shops. They walked around and looked at different things, but stayed within eye contact distance of each other. Anastasia was looking around at a jewelry shop, and saw a jade stone turtle bracelet she thought would be cool for Mokuba, as one souvenir gift, and she bought it. There would be others, but this was just really cool. She then looked around at swimsuits and clothes for herself and Seto. She glanced at him and smiled and looked at his lean body to estimate his size. He was probably a medium or a large. She found a pair of sky-blue swim trunks that had colorful tropical flowers along the outside seams, and got a pair each in medium and large, and figured he could determine which size was his, and if he liked it. She also found a bikini that was turquoise blue with a tropical flower print in her size, and a sarong and a sarong tie clip. She went to the dressing room to try on her bikini, and it fit well. She put her regular clothes back on after changing out of the bikini, and then went to find Seto so she could show him what she found. She saw him at a clothes rack looking at things, and she saw a group of women staring at him like sharks sizing up a baby seal. He was either unaware of their gaze, or he was ignoring them completely. They were talking to each other and decided to saunter up to him to talk to him and flirt with him.

_"Oh, hell no!" Anastasia's inner self exclaimed._ Anastasia immediately went up to Seto.

"Hey dragon," Anastasia greeted with a kiss and a hug, Seto was surprised by the sudden affection but responded.

"Hey sweetheart," Seto replied as he got his senses back after the surprise affection.

"I found some stuff to show you," Anastasia told him, and flashed her wedding ring where the women could see it, as if to say "back off, he's MY husband." Out of the corner of her eye, Anastasia saw them grumble to themselves and walk away.

"What did you find?" Seto asked, unaware of what she was doing.

"I found these swim trunks I think would look great on you, a bikini, a sarong cover up, and I bought Mokuba a souvenir gift," Anastasia replied and had him come closer. Seto was curious. "There were a group of ladies sizing you up like sharks sizing up a baby seal, and they were starting to saunter up to you to hit on you. I came up to you and gave you affection and showed off my ring as if to say 'back off, he's MY husband,'" Anastasia explained in a whisper.

"Oh," Seto replied as he understood and smirked. "So, you were being possessive of me and trying to keep some pests from bothering me."

"Yes," Anastasia admitted. Seto thought it was cute and kinda sexy that she was being possessive of him and trying to scare off other women from bothering him. Normally he wouldn't like the possessiveness, but since she's his wife, it was acceptable and appreciated. "Would you do the same if you saw guys coming up to hit on me?"

"Yes, I would," Seto admitted. He definitely wouldn't like anyone else hitting on his wife. Anastasia smiled. "Thank you for keeping those pests from bothering me," Seto thanked her.

"You're welcome," Anastasia replied and gave him a peck.

"So, let me see the stuff you found," Seto requested, changing the subject. Anastasia showed him the trunks, her bikini, the sarong, and the bracelet she'd bought for Mokuba.

"I wasn't sure what size you were, but I estimated you were either a medium or a large," Anastasia told him. Seto looked at the trunks and thought they were nice, and they were a good color.

"You estimated right. I'm a large, and I like them, and the bikini and sarong you picked. I think Mokuba will like the bracelet," Seto told her. Anastasia beamed and she put the medium swim trunks back and got a couple more pairs of swim trunks for him so he'd have some fresh ones for later this week, and picked out a couple more tropical print bikinis in purple and a deeper blue from the same brand.

"Did you find anything?" Anastasia asked as she returned to his side with the other swimsuits.

"Yeah, I found some nice shorts and shirts, and some comfortable-looking shoes. You got more swimsuits?" Seto replied and showed her what he found. He found some moisture wicking sky blue polos, some blue aloha shirts with a shadowed hibiscus in the fabric (meaning the flowers weren't visible at first, but they were in the fabric and visible up close) as well as an orchid print that wasn't too much, and some nice khaki shorts and some Sperry boat shoes.

"Those are nice! Want to try them on? And I figured that we'd have fresh pairs so we wouldn't have to wash them as much and we'd have a swimsuit ready to go for our adventures," Anastasia suggested.

"Yeah, that makes sense," Seto agreed and followed her to the dressing room to try on the clothes he found. Anastasia waited outside and when he came out with an outfit on, she admired him. "How do they look? I don't normally wear clothes like these, so I'm not totally sure about them," Seto admitted.

"They look good, and comfortable, my dragon," Anastasia told him and gave him a playful wolf whistle, which made him chuckle a bit. Seto looked at himself in the mirror, a bit and then went in and changed into the other outfits, which Anastasia liked. He also tried on one pair of the swim trunks, which fit great. Anastasia admired him, and he caught her and blushed. "So, you like them all?" Seto confirmed.

"Yes, I do, but the important question is do YOU like them? Anastasia asked.

"I think so," Seto admitted. He wasn't normally one to wear tropical prints; it wasn't his style, but when in Rome, or rather Hawaii, do as the locals do. At least they looked good on him and he would be comfortable in this balmy, tropical climate this week, and as a plus, Anastasia was admiring how he looked. He changed back into his regular clothes and held onto them. He found a sundress with a sweetheart neckline and a flared skirt that matched his orchid print shirt.

"What did you find?" Anastasia asked as he stopped and looked at a sundress.

"What do you think of this dress?" Seto asked as he showed her.

"I like it, plus, it matches your shirt," Anastasia replied. "Do you want to match?"

"We could," Seto replied. Anastasia giggled.

"Sure," Anastasia consented and found one in her size, a large, and went to try it on. Seto waited outside and when she came out, she looked great, and like a Hawaiian '50s pinup.

"It looks great on you," Seto complimented her. Anastasia smiled.

"Thanks, my dragon," Anastasia replied, and went to change back into her original clothes. They went up to the register, and bought them, as well as some sunblock, beach towels, water shoes, sunglasses, and pouches for their valuables. Then they went to their suite to change and leave their purchases behind. Anastasia wore the dress, her turquoise bikini, and put on her sandals, while Seto changed into his tropical shirt, swim trunks, khakis, and Sperry shoes. They applied some sunblock, helping each other apply it to their backs, and left their purchases in the suite, except the sunblock and water shoes. They grabbed a couple of their beach towels, her camera, put them in a tote bag, and then headed downstairs and they caught the trolley to go around the area. They did some sightseeing and took pictures, grabbing a bite from a local restaurant, and then went to dinner at Duke's Waikiki. They enjoyed dinner, and got some tropical drinks, enjoying each other's company and discussing their adventures today. After dinner, they walked across the street to the beach, and they took in the sunset on the beach. After their dinner, they changed their shoes to their water shoes, put their outfits in the bag, and put their bag and her purse on a beach chair, covered by the towels, and secured by the carabiner clips on Anastasia's purse. Seto couldn't help admiring her muscular body in her tropical, turquoise bikini in the golden-orange rays of the sunset, and he felt turned on, and he felt embarrassed and wrong. True, she had taught him about sex ed and it being normal, but he was still ashamed of it. He looked away blushing and was trying to suppress his growing erection.

_"Oh God… please go down… this isn't appropriate…" Seto thought frantically. _

"Seto? Are you ok?" Anastasia asked him, concerned. She also couldn't help admiring, his lean, toned body in the sun's golden-orange rays too.

"I…um… was admiring your body… and got turned on," he whispered embarrassed in her ear.

"Is that all?" Anastasia asked. Seto nodded. Anastasia gave a little chuckle.

"What's so funny?" Seto asked feeling more self-conscious. Maybe he shouldn't have told her if she was going to laugh at him.

"Oh dragon, we're husband and wife. You, and ONLY YOU, are welcome to fantasize about me, admire my body, and touch me with consent," Anastasia whispered in his ear and hugged him.

"You're…not mad?" Seto asked. He was expecting her to be disgusted and upset with him.

"Heavens no, I'm not mad. Don't feel guilty, now let's go swim, and play in the water," Anastasia told him with a kiss and led him into the water and enjoyed the tepid water and the waves. Seto smiled and started to relax and have fun and swim with her. Anastasia even splashed him, and he started to splash back and tried to grab her hand or leg, but she was evasive and swam faster.

"Hey! Come here!" Seto commanded playfully.

"Nope! You gotta catch this mermaid, sailor!" Anastasia teased and kept evading him, but he eventually caught her by the foot.

"Caught you!" Seto exclaimed and pulled her close.

"Aww, you caught me," Anastasia conceded. Seto smirked victoriously. "What is your prize?" Seto immediately captured her lips in a big kiss, and wanted it to go deeper, but wasn't quite sure how. He did involuntarily feel his lips part, and he moaned in the kiss. Anastasia felt his lips part and she traced his bottom lip with her tongue, and soon their tongues were doing a sensual tango with each other, which elicited a bigger moan from Seto, and he parted to breathe when he felt it was starting to get to be too much for him, for now.

"Wow!" Seto exclaimed as he was processing the kiss. That was amazing, and he really liked how intuitive she was. "That was intense," Seto remarked. Anastasia smiled.

"There's more where that came from, dragon," Anastasia whispered teasingly. Seto smiled.

"Thank you, Anastasia. Should we go back and get rested? We have a full day tomorrow," Seto suggested.

"Yeah, good idea," Anastasia agreed and they got out of the ocean and started drying off. Seto watched her and felt turned on again, but focused on drying himself off. Anastasia admired him as he dried off but didn't say anything. She got the bag and her purse after wrapping the towel around her body, while Seto wrapped his around his waist and they held hands as they crossed the street and went to the hotel and up to their suite. They took separate showers and got dressed in their pajamas, got their phones plugged in, made sure the suite was secure, and climbed into bed.

"I had fun today, I can't wait for tomorrow," Seto told her.

"Me too," Anastasia replied with a smile. Seto leaned in for a kiss, and tried to make it deeper, the same way Anastasia did, and Anastasia allowed him to, and responded to it. They both moaned, and parted to breathe. "You're getting it," Anastasia encouraged him. Seto smiled.

"Thank you, sweetheart," Seto told her. Anastasia turned out the light and climbed back into bed with him, and felt him pull her close to him. He was really getting comfortable with her, and she was excited about her adventures with him and helping him grow.

* * *

**A/N:** Well I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! Coincidentally, I released ch. 1 on their first day of their Honeymoon, the travel day. We're starting a bit light and sweet, and will later venture into darker territory.

Don't forget to leave at least ONE review to get chapter 2 released upon finishing, or to release it from embargo (hold).


	2. Honeymoon in Paradise

**A/N:** Thank you to Kris and Sara for your reviews that allowed the immediate release of chapter 2.

In this chapter, you do get to see a little bit more about Anastasia's past, and Seto experiencing a myriad of new feelings, and Anastasia being patient with him as he experiences these new feelings, one of which being intense lust, but also anxiety. I created a LOT of sexual tension in this chapter. (There are NO lemons in this chapter; I WILL tell you when there will be lemons.) This chapter is meant to be sweet and romantic (it IS a honeymoon after all).

This chapter is also an early Christmas gift for y'all. Merry Christmas!

I hope you enjoy!

* * *

The next morning, at about 6:00 a.m., Anastasia's alarm went off. She got up and used the restroom. Seto stirred as he had heard the alarm, but more so when he felt the empty space in his arms.

"Anastasia?" Seto asked sleepily as his blurry, sleepy vision tried to focus on where his wife was. He heard the water running in the bathroom as she flushed and washed her hands. Anastasia opened the door and saw him, half-asleep.

"Good morning dragon. The bathroom's open for you," Anastasia offered. "It's time to get up and get ready to go for our adventure today. We can take our time," Anastasia coaxed and went to sit down on the light blue couch to see what the itinerary had in store for them today.

"Okay," Seto mumbled with a yawn and a stretch and slowly got to his feet and went to the bathroom to do his business. When he came out of the bathroom after washing his hands, he joined Anastasia on the couch and looked over the itinerary with her. Anastasia gave him a light peck, and Seto smiled.

"Good morning sweetheart," Seto greeted. "So, what is on the itinerary for today?" he inquired as he pulled her closer to him so they could look together.

"Well, today we are having breakfast at Duke's at 7:30, then at 9:00 we will be picked up by our tour guide, and we'll be going on an 8-hour tour of Oahu. We'll be going to the Dole Pineapple Plantation, the North Shore beaches, a macadamia nut farm, Nu'u Pali Overlook, and the rugged south coast of Oahu, and more. Then at 5:30, we come back and we can go to the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center, take a stroll down the beach, relax at the hotel, see the nightlife and the street performers, or go shopping," Anastasia described.

"Sounds like fun," Seto remarked.

"Yeah," Anastasia agreed. "Do you want to shower before we go do our tour, or do you want to shower when we get back?"

"Hmm, probably when we get back," Seto replied. It would probably make more sense to shower in the evening to clean up and relax after their adventures.

"Yeah, good idea," Anastasia concurred. "Is there anything you want to check out in particular today before or after our adventure today?"

"I do want to stop by a coffee shop to buy some local coffee so I, or we, if you want, can have coffee in the room," Seto requested. They looked at the map and saw there were a few coffee shops nearby.

"Sure, we can do that," Anastasia consented. "Let's check out the breakfast menu so we know what will be on the buffet and get an idea on what they have," she suggested and picked up the menu that was left in the room. They opened to the page that had the breakfast buffet menu.

"Well, the buffet opens at 7:00, we can go there, take our time eating. I think the banana pancakes with the tropical strawberry and coconut syrups, some spicy Hawaiian Portuguese bacon, and scrambled eggs, and some fruit sounds really good," Anastasia told him.

"That does sound good, but I think I'll get the omelet, some bacon, a bagel, and coffee," Seto decided.

"Good choice," Anastasia told him.

"Thanks," Seto replied and they took their time getting dressed to go to breakfast. A little after 7:00, they started heading to the buffet, with the film crew following them, and got their plates of the food they wanted to eat. They took a table, and started eating and enjoying their breakfast. They ate until they were full, satisfied, and sure their breakfast would keep them energized through the tour until lunchtime. Since they had time to kill, they decided to walk around the corner to Honolulu Coffee to get the coffee Seto requested, and maybe some pastries to try for later or tomorrow. They held hands and enjoyed seeing the street come to life as the sun was rising. The sky was yellow, orange, and pink with lavender clouds. It was so peaceful and romantic. They went into the coffee shop and Seto was looking at the different flavors, but couldn't decide on any particular blend he wanted, but decided on a bag of the Peaberry blend, which was the "rarest Kona coffee", which also had intense notes of milk chocolate, sweet spice, raw honey, and roasted hazelnuts. It was the rarest because coffee cherries typically produced two half-oval beans per cherry; however, during the Peaberry process, the beans naturally fuse into one small, dense, oval-shaped bean, which retains more nutrients from the cherry which has to provide for two seeds. The Peaberry formation was a rare process in that was yielded in only 1% of the total crop, and the fact that it is a difficult sorting process for the farms to go through to bring it to market. Seto was enraptured by the barista's explanation of the Peaberry coffee and why it was so expensive, and he smiled. This was his perfect souvenir coffee, but he was definitely going to try the others too, except decaf. He loved having the best and rarest things, as if his Blue Eyes White Dragons weren't evidence enough. He took a business card to order more in the future. He also decided to get the Aina, which had flavor notes of chocolate, caramel, and citrus; the Lokahi, which had flavor notes of balanced marmalade and chocolate; and the Makahiki, which had flavor notes of sweet cocoa, cherry, and brown sugar, and was known as the "Hawaiian festival of the harvest season," which celebrated the bounty of the land. He bought 2 bags of each, one to enjoy while they were here, and the other to take home. He also bought himself a large cup of the Makahiki, as well as a small cup for Anastasia to try, as well as some pastries. Anastasia had to admit she really liked this particular coffee blend. Seto paid for the expensive coffee, and was happy. They took the coffee and pastries back to their room, and hung out, getting everything ready to go for their adventure. Anastasia packed towels, sunblock, swim shoes, her chargers, her camera, the waterproof pouches, and anything else they needed.

Seto wore one of the sky-blue moisture wicking polos, khaki shorts, a 2nd pair of his swim shorts, and his Sperry shoes. Anastasia wore a red sundress with some black shorts underneath, covering the purple bikini, and some black tennis shoes. She put her scarlet hair up in a messy, braided bun. They helped each other liberally apply the sunblock. Seto put his room key and phone in his pocket and Anastasia put her phone in her purse with her room key, got the bag of their stuff, and they held hands as they went to Duke's to wait with the film crew for their local tour guide to pick them up. Anastasia stopped by the gift shop for a moment and bought some bug repellant in the gift shop to pack on the trip to prevent bugs from biting them.

At 9:00, their local guide came to pick them and the film crew up in a charter vehicle to take them around the island. The first stop was going to be the North Shore Macadamia Nut Company, then to the Progressive Surf School, and then the Dole Plantation. It was a long drive and they chatted amicably with their guide. They toured the macadamia nut farm, took pictures, and enjoyed sampling the macadamia nuts, the flavored macadamia nut peanut butters, (Seto's favorite peanut butter was the Waialua Coffee, and he enjoyed the coffee macadamia nuts, while Anastasia's was the banana macadamia peanut butter, and the caramel and cinnamon macadamia nuts), teas, and coffee. Anastasia made sure to buy a variety pack of teas, as well as the Hawaiian mango tea, and the pineapple green tea, as well as their favorite peanut butters. Seto didn't buy any more coffee since he already bought a lot earlier. They then went to the Progressive Surf School, removed their outer clothing and put it in the bag with their things, put on their swim shoes, and put their bag in a rented locker. The surf instructor then started teaching them about how to surf, and then they went out far enough into the water to safely catch waves. Seto and Anastasia took turns getting waves. It took a little while for them to get it, and they kept falling into the wave, but after a few tries, they started to get it. They were having so much fun, and were admiring each other surfing the waves. They also decided to try riding a wave together, which was awesome and romantic. When they were finished, they thanked the instructor, got their bag, and decided to relax a little on the shore, soaking up the late morning, early afternoon sun rays, and walking along the shore a bit to dry off, with the film crew following behind. Anastasia picked up some interesting seashells she really liked, and even a few sand dollars that washed up to her feet. She loved collecting seashells, and Seto thought it was kinda cute. After a little while, they put their clothes and comfortable shoes back on, Anastasia put her shells in a bag they had found to protect their items from getting dirty, and she put the bag of shells into her bag, and then the guide took them to the Dole Plantation. There, they took a train tour, took pictures, saw a pineapple cutting demonstration, and worked together in the garden maze, using the app for help to keep track of their progress. They were having so much fun, laughing, and having playful arguments about where to go, until they finished the maze. After they went through the maze, they went to the Plantation Grille for lunch. Anastasia ordered the Kalua pork plate, which came with a generous serving of island-style, smoked, pulled pork, steamed rice, and North Shore greens, while Seto ordered the teriyaki chicken plate, which included the boneless, grilled, marinated, teriyaki-glazed chicken, the steamed rice and North Shore greens. To drink, they both ordered large pineapple juices, and some water. They paid for their food and found a cozy booth in which to sit, and then started recapping how much fun they've had today so far while they ate their delicious, local food. The pineapple juice added an extra, sweet, tropical, kick to their food. For dessert, they got back in line and ordered the famous Dole Whip, which was a pineapple soft-serve ice cream, in a cup with toppings. They were so deliciously tangy and sweet, and they could see why people enjoyed them so much. After lunch, they went to the gift shop to get souvenirs for Mokuba, the staff, and a few of Anastasia's friends. The Dole Plantation was definitely a key stop in Hawaii, seeing as how pineapples are one of the top iconic things Hawaii is known for, and it made sense to get souvenirs from here.

"What should we get the staff and Mokuba?" Anastasia asked Seto as they looked over the different items.

"Hmm, maybe some pineapple candy," Seto suggested. At least the candy would last until they got home, and he wasn't sure what else to get them.

"Well, I suppose we can get some six-packs of chocolate covered pineapple candies, that way everyone's happy," Anastasia suggested.

"Yeah, that saves us time, and I'm sure they'll like the candy," Seto concurred as Anastasia got a couple six-packs for her friends, and he got one six-pack each for Mokuba, Roland, Rosa, and Edward. Anastasia also got a pineapple flavored dog treat lei for her dog, Stella, Rainbow Hawaii flavored tea, Pineapple Ceylon iced tea, and a cute Hawaiian pineapple plush measuring tape. They also got some pineapple-mango jam to go with their peanut butters, and pineapple gummy candy for them to snack on later. Seto also found a pineapple flavored coffee and he bought a bag to try. They carried their purchases to their guide's vehicle to head south to Nu'uanu Pali Overlook. It was nice to be able to sit and relax for a while and talk to their guide about their adventures so far. Once they got to Nu'uanu Pali Overlook, their guide let them out and covered their purchases with the tarp, locked the vehicle and told them and the film crew about the gorgeous, lush, cliff lookout with a sweeping view of the forests, the island, and the ocean, as well as the historical significance. Anastasia took lots of pictures of the lush, green view, and had a film crew member take a picture of her and Seto with one of the most scenic spots in the background. After they finished exploring Nu'uanu Pali Overlook, they left and headed south to the South Shore and Diamond Head Lookout. Once they got there, it was a fairly easy hike, and so gorgeous to be able to see a 360° view of the whole island of Oahu. They also got to explore the South Shore, and went for a swim in the ocean again. After they finished swimming, they dried off walking in the sun on the shore, and collected more seashells. When they were finished, the guide took them back to the hotel. They took their bags to the room and sat down on the light blue couch exhausted, and weren't even paying attention to the film crew right now.

"Man, my feet are sore, I think we should just rest in the room tonight," Seto suggested.

"I feel you. I'm sore too. And that's a good idea. We can order room service, eat our dinner in here, eat some of the gummy candy we bought, and relax and watch movies here," Anastasia suggested. "Do you want a foot massage?" Anastasia offered. Seto was surprised.

"Sure, if you want to. Actually, could you also do a back massage too?" Seto requested.

"Sure, my dragon," Anastasia consented. Seto smiled. "Remove your shirt, shoes, and socks, and lie face down on the bed" Anastasia commanded.

"Yes ma'am," Seto obeyed and peeled off his polo, feeling the heat of her eyeing his torso admirably. He smirked, and then he turned around and started to remove his shoes and socks, and he heard her gasp.

"What is it?" Seto asked alarmed.

"What happened to your back?!" Anastasia asked alarmed as she saw the faint pink scars all over his back. She hadn't noticed earlier. Seto had almost forgotten about his scars on his back, and he felt a little self-conscious now.

"…my stepfather had his servant beat and whip me if I slacked off, or fell asleep during my studying…" Seto explained. He HATED remembering that. In fact, it brought an involuntary, violent shudder.

"Oh Seto, that's awful… do they hurt?" Anastasia asked gingerly. He appreciated her genuine concern.

"Just the memory of them," Seto replied ruefully. "It hurts more from work, stress, and if I do a lot."

"I see. Well, I hope my massage helps," Anastasia replied.

"Oh, it will," Seto assured her, as he lay face down on the bed like she asked. Anastasia removed her shoes and socks and straddled his butt on the bed to give her a more comfortable position to knead his muscles, which earned an involuntary moan from Seto. She gently but firmly started to knead his muscles starting from his neck and shoulders, and she could feel the hard knots in his muscles. Seto melted in relaxation and pleasure and he moaned as he started to feel aroused. He was too into the massage to care if he was feeling an erection forming; besides, she had assured him it was allowed, as long as she caused it. Anastasia smiled as she could tell how relaxed he was under her hands as she worked his knots out. They had been building up for quite a while.

"Seto, when was the last time you had a massage?" Anastasia asked.

"Never," Seto answered in a sort-of mumble as he was so relaxed.

"Oh dragon, you've got quite the buildup," Anastasia pointed out.

"Oh," Seto replied not knowing what else to say.

"Well, maybe we can give each other a massage once a week?" Anastasia suggested.

"Yeah," Seto agreed. Anastasia smiled.

"Alright. Hang on, I'll be right back," Anastasia told him.

"No, don't stop," Seto begged in a sort of mumble, which earned a chuckle from Anastasia.

"I'll just be a moment, my dragon," Anastasia promised.

"Hurry back," Seto commanded.

"Sure thing," Anastasia promised and got off and went to the bathroom. She did her business, washed her hands, and then got a towel and soaked it in hot water. She carried it to the bed, and then gently laid it on his back. Seto gasped and moaned as he felt the heat on his back. "This is to help loosen your muscles a bit more," Anastasia explained.

"Makes sense," Seto agreed and sighed in pleasure. He could totally get used to this every week.

"_You'll still have to do it for her too," his inner self reminded him. _

"_I know," Seto replied and thought about how he would make her feel so good like she was doing to him. He just hoped he could be as good as her. _

"_As long as you try and listen, you should be fine," his inner self assured him. _

"_Yeah," Seto agreed._ He trusted she would give good instructions if he were to massage her. After a few minutes, she removed the towel as it had cooled down, and then got back to work kneading his muscles. They were much easier to work with now.

"Oh Anastasia, that feels so divine," Seto moaned.

"I'm glad you like it," Anastasia replied with a smile. She was so glad he was enjoying this and feeling better. After she got the knots out of his neck, shoulders and back, she moved down to his feet and then started to knead the soles of his feet. Seto was feeling so good, he started feeling like an aroused jellyfish. When he couldn't take anymore, he asked her to stop, and he hurried to the bathroom to relieve the throbbing ache in his penis.

"_You've still got it," Anastasia's inner self remarked and gave her a mental high-five. _

"_Damn right I do," Anastasia agreed._ After a few minutes, Seto had relieved himself, washed his hands, and cleaned up, then came back out of the bathroom.

"Your turn," Seto commanded.

"Yes sir!" Anastasia agreed.

"Take off your dress and lie face down," Seto commanded, imitating her from before. Obediently, Anastasia removed her red sundress, leaving her in her purple bikini and black shorts, and she could feel his eyes ogling her torso, and she lay face down on the bed. Seto was a little nervous, as he had never given a massage before either.

"Why don't you try getting a towel and putting it under hot water and then putting it on my back?" Anastasia guided, sensing his nervousness.

"Good idea," Seto agreed as he got a towel from the bathroom, ran it under the hot water, and then laid it on her back. Anastasia moaned in pleasure as she felt the heat on her back, and she could feel her muscles loosening. After a few minutes, Seto removed the towel. "What do I do next?" Seto asked.

"Then, you straddle my butt, and you are going to firmly but gently start rubbing in circular motions with your fingers, slowly, from my neck, all the way down to my lower back. If you feel tension, just keep working it in circular motions until it's loosened up, then move onto the next spot down my back," Anastasia instructed.

"Alright," Seto acknowledged and then started to do the ministrations just like she said. Anastasia moaned and melted in pleasure and relaxation as he kneaded her muscles just like she told him to. Seto started to feel aroused again as he was sitting straddled on her lean butt, and he watched her enjoying his kneading along her neck and shoulders right now. Her bikini top was starting to get in the way of his ministrations.

"Anastasia?" Seto asked.

"Hmm?" Anastasia responded.

"Would…it be okay… if I unclasp the back of your bikini top… so I can continue working on your back?" Seto broached cautiously.

"Go ahead," Anastasia consented. Seto gingerly unhooked the back of her bikini top, and moved the straps away, and felt more turned on. He was trying to stay calm as he continued kneading her back and moved down to her butt, and then moved to her feet, and started to massage the soles of her feet, just like she did for him, and he relished hearing her moans of pleasure.

"_Oh God, I feel so hard and tight right now, and her moans sound so good! I don't know how much more I can take…" Seto thought. _

"_You can always request to make love if you want. She is your wife, and she did say when YOU'RE ready," his inner self pointed out. _

"_But I'm not sure I am ready… Yes, she turns me on, but I don't think I'm there at that point yet," Seto protested. _

"_Alright, well in the meantime, excuse yourself and relieve yourself in the bathroom until you are," his inner self replied. _

"Thank you Seto," Anastasia told him as he finished.

"My pleasure, sweetheart. Excuse me," Seto told her as he got up and went to the bathroom and relieved himself again. Okay, now he was tired for sure. While he was in the bathroom, the film crew gave Anastasia some privacy and went to the balcony while Anastasia fixed her bikini top and put her dress back on. They came back in when she was decent, and then she ordered room service for them and asked Seto what he wanted to eat through the closed door, and the film crew ordered their own food. Seto told her what he wanted and asked her to bring him some fresh underwear and his pajamas. Anastasia got his boxers from his suitcase, and his pajamas and knocked on the door. Seto stood behind the door and opened it a crack and took his clothes.

"Thank you, sweetheart," Seto told her as he shut the door, and stripped down and took a shower to clean himself up. The shower was soothing, to a point.

"You're welcome, my dragon," Anastasia replied through the closed door before he got in, and went to sit on the couch to see what was on TV while she waited for room service, and for Seto to come out.

"_I'm surprised he didn't request to make love; I know he was turned on," Anastasia's inner self remarked. _

"_Yeah, I know he was, but he's probably still not ready for it yet. In the meantime, we will respect his timing, and his privacy," Anastasia replied. _

"_Fair enough. How long do you think it will take him to request to make love?" her inner self asked. _

"_I'm not sure," Anastasia replied honestly. _

"_I'm betting a couple weeks, maybe 3 at most," her inner self wagered. _

"_Alright," Anastasia replied nonchalantly._ She flipped through the channels and found the Addams Family playing. "Ooh! Yes!" she exclaimed happily. She adored the Addams Family. She got her pineapple gummy candy, and opened the bag, and grabbed a handful and snacked on it. Seto came out of the bathroom in his pajamas.

"Hey dragon, feel better?" Anastasia asked as she turned to him.

"Yes, thank you. The shower is open if you want it," Seto offered.

"Thank you, dragon. I'll be right back. Don't change the channel, we can watch this together," Anastasia instructed and gave him a peck and left the bag of candy with him. Seto sat down and watched a bit of Addams Family, and was a bit intrigued. Anastasia got her nightgown, some panties, and took a quick shower. Just as she finished and dressed, she heard the door knock.

"Room service," the attendant called through the door. Seto put the bag of candy on the coffee table and opened the door. The attendant rolled the cart in and read off the order. Seto gave a tip to the attendant and the attendant left.

"Anastasia, the food is here," Seto called.

"Be out in a moment," Anastasia called back as she put tea tree oil in her scarlet hair, and combed through it. She put it in a towel turban and came out of the bathroom. Seto divvied up the food and drinks, and they sat on the couch, and ate their food on the coffee table while the Addams Family was playing. The film crew ate at the dining table and continued filming.

"I love this movie, and Addams Family Values," Anastasia told Seto after they ate.

"It's interesting, and kinda weird," Seto admitted. "Why do you like it?"

"I like it because they are like the perfect family. They love each other so much, even if they express it in unorthodox ways. Morticia and Gomez are the epitome of a loving couple and are relationship goals. I also love how snarky Wednesday is," Anastasia explained.

"Is that right?" Seto asked as a chestnut eyebrow raised over his sapphire eye, and he smirked. "I'm probably snarkier than Wednesday could ever be," Seto boasted. She did say she liked how snarky Wednesday was, maybe this would impress her.

"Alright, prove it," Anastasia challenged.

"You got it, sweetheart. I told this to Yugi and his loser squad, 'if I had a dime for every time you said 'destiny', I'd be even richer'," Seto crowed.

"Not bad," Anastasia replied.

"Not bad?" Seto echoed. "Alright, I'll give you another one I told them while dueling 'let me get this straight, you're going to defeat me with a creampuff and an elf?'" Anastasia chuckled.

"Alright, that's a funny one, I'll give you that," Anastasia conceded. Seto beamed.

"Damn right," Seto crowed. Anastasia chuckled and gave him a kiss and leaned into him.

"So why are Morticia and Gomez relationship goals?" Seto asked.

"Well, look at them! They are passionately in love with each other, since the day they met, and they've been married for years! They definitely make time for each other and try to make each other happy. They are miserable when the other is miserable. They are protective of each other. They have a healthy, passionate, loving sex life. Not only that, but they are incredibly involved, devoted, and proud parents, even while they are incredibly wealthy. They are also extremely welcoming and hospitable to people who come to them," Anastasia explained. Seto nodded.

"That makes sense," he conceded. "Do you want a marriage like Gomez and Morticia?"

"Absolutely," Anastasia declared.

"I can try to be your Gomez, if you'll be patient with me, Morticia," Seto promised.

"Absolutely, mon cher," Anastasia promised.

"Cara mia!" Seto exclaimed and kissed her, and slowly made it deeper, and they both moaned. Seto decided to kiss her neck, and she tilted her head to give him better access and moaned. Her towel turban fell to the floor. Seto moaned and had to pull away. He wasn't ready. He was slowly getting there, but not yet. Anastasia gave him a smile and a peck and nestled into his arms as they watched the movies and shared the pineapple gummy rings. After the movies, they cleared the dishes and put it on the tray, and put it outside the door. They did their business in the bathroom, and Anastasia left the towel she was using as a turban on the towel pile by the tub. Seto swept Anastasia off her feet and carried her to bed. He shut the lights off except the one by the bed and crawled into bed holding her close. The film crew left for the night. Anastasia set the alarm for them to get up and put it on her nightstand. Seto shut the light off and they drifted off to sleep happily.

* * *

The next morning, they got dressed and ready, let the film crew in, and Seto got to try one of his sweet, tropical coffees, while Anastasia tried one of her tropical teas, and they enjoyed their pastries. They went to Duke's and had a light breakfast. They took their time getting ready, and today they were going to tour the solemn, hallowed grounds and waters of Pearl Harbor, then have a drive-by historic tour, and then go to the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Punchbowl Crater. Anastasia was going to leave her bag at the hotel today and just take her camera and her purse since they didn't allow big bags or backpacks at the memorial. They wore shorts and nice shirts to be respectful of the memorial. At about 8:30 a.m., their guide came and met them and the film crew at the lobby, and then drove them to the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center. Immediately, Anastasia and Seto could feel the solemn, historical aura of reverence of the area. They went and saw the short film about the attack and the historical footage. It was sobering to see everything about the attack and everything after. So many people lost their lives there. After that, they boarded the Navy skip to take the special tour of Battleship Row on the water, and to go around the USS Arizona memorial. It was quite an informational tour. Anastasia took lots of pictures while on this tour. Then they went to check out the exhibits back in the visitor center, and then visited the submarine, the USS Bowfin. The submarine was incredible, and they ate a lunch there on the submarine. Afterwards, they took a shuttle to Ford Island to see the USS Missouri. They got to tour the main decks, especially the deck where the Japanese Articles of Surrender was signed in September 1945 that marked the end of World War II. They also got to see the towering turret guns, and explore what life was like on board the Navy battleship. They also got to visit the control center, mess halls, rooms, kitchens, and grounded jets. They also got to touch a spot where a Kamikaze pilot struck the ship. Anastasia made sure to take lots of pictures as they explored, with Seto. After their tour, they went back to the visitor center to get souvenirs. Anastasia bought a graphic novel of the Attack on Pearl Harbor for Mokuba, with Seto's approval. She also bought memoirs of people who served during WWII and particularly Pearl Harbor and Midway to read later, t-shirts of Pearl Harbor/USS Missouri and USS Arizona and Diamond Head, postcards, magnets, pictures, a water bottle for their excursions, and a certificate that they climbed Diamond Head, just for fun. Seto also bought a certificate of climbing Diamond Head for himself, just for fun, some nice polos and mugs of Pearl Harbor/USS Missouri and USS Arizona and Diamond Head, some postcards for his staff, a water bottle, and some shirts for Mokuba. He decided on getting him a hula shirt with a battle plane print, just for fun, as well as t-shirts of Pearl Harbor/USS Missouri and USS Arizona and Diamond Head. After they bought their souvenirs, they got on a shuttle and took a historic tour of some of downtown Honolulu. They even got to take pictures in front of Iolani Palace, and the King Kamehameha statue. After the historic tour, they went and explored the serene, hallowed grounds National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Punchbowl Crater. When the shuttle dropped them off at the hotel, they went to get cleaned up and dressed up for their romantic sunset dinner cruise that evening while the film crew waited. Seto wore one of his hula shirts with the shadow floral print, khakis, and his Sperry shoes, and he waited on the couch for Anastasia. While he waited, he scrolled through his phone to see his updates and messages with the TV on in the background playing local, Honolulu TV shows. Anastasia wore a light blue, spaghetti strap sundress with a sweetheart neckline, her locket, dressy sandals, and then styled her hair with a retro, pinup victory wave and curls. She wore a classic look of makeup with winged, black eyeliner and her signature red lipstick. She made sure she had a fresh battery for her camera, and had her phone charged up, and then came to where Seto was.

"Ready to go, dragon?" Anastasia asked. Seto glanced up when she spoke to him, and thought she looked stunning.

"Yeah, I am. You look beautiful, and retro," Seto complimented her and took her free hand, while her other hand carried her purse. Anastasia smiled, her crystal blue eyes shimmering with delight.

"Thank you, my dragon. You look sharp yourself," she complimented him and gave him a peck.

"Thank you," Seto replied and they left to get on the shuttle with the film crew to Honolulu Harbor. When they got there, they found their cruise ship, The Star of Honolulu, and a troupe of hula dancers greeting everyone pier side, under the sunset sky with a myriad of colors, including pinks, reds, oranges, purples, and blues. Anastasia took pictures and video of their hula and was mesmerized. Anastasia and Seto also took a picture in front of the cruise ship, and then boarded with their passes. They happily got to explore the ship, and Seto found himself holding her close to him, by her waist, which she loved. They were the epitome of romance that evening. Seto was thrilled he was able to hold her so close like this. She smelled so good and she felt so warm. His heart thudded as she rested her head on his shoulder as they walked, and he felt a little turned on. After they explored the ship, they got in line for the buffet. Anastasia decided to get the Alaea Salt Crusted USDA Choice Top Round Grade Roast Beef; some white fish with coconut curry sauce; steamed white rice; seasonal fruit; a buttered, poi roll; and some freshly-brewed Kona iced tea. Seto decided on the white fish with coconut curry sauce; baked Misoyaki BBQ chicken; steamed white rice; seasonal fruit; a buttered poi roll; and some water. They found a seat and admired the view of the constantly-changing sunset sky on the ocean on one side of the ship, and the glittering lights of the Aloha Tower Marketplace and the city lights of Honolulu. It was magical. A photographer was walking around and asked them if they wanted a souvenir picture, to which they agreed. The photographer was also nice enough to take a photo of them with their own camera. They enjoyed their delicious dinner while listening to the wandering musician playing lively Hawaiian music for them. They then went back to the buffet and decided to get a green tea tiramisu to share. When they came back, they also found their complimentary Mai Tai drinks next to their drinks, and their dinner plates had been cleared away. The fruitiness of the Mai Tai enhanced the flavor of the green tea tiramisu they shared, along with a few sweet kisses Seto felt bold enough to plant on Anastasia's full, red lips. Anastasia giggled and blushed, which made him blush and smile. It was positive reinforcement that he was getting the hang of romance, albeit a few baby steps at a time. They also saw the lights of Waikiki and the beauty of Diamond Head from a distance, and after dinner, they were entertained by a fun show called "Polynesian Journey." They even had a hula contest for willing audience participants.

"You should do it," Seto encouraged her.

"Come with me," Anastasia goaded.

"No, no, I'd rather watch you do it," Seto protested, feeling a little self-conscious.

"Please? I'll be up there with you," Anastasia coaxed and kissed him.

"…Alright," Seto agreed and took her hand.

"Yay!" Anastasia exclaimed happily as she held his hand and they went up to the stage together to participate.

"_I can't believe I am doing this…" Seto thought anxiously. What if everyone laughed at him? He hated being mocked. _

"_You're having fun, with your wife, doing something new, which you will be doing a lot of," his inner self retorted. "Besides, she's there with you, and who cares what they think? They don't matter. Only Anastasia matters, and she's happy that you're up there with her, having fun."_

"…_That's true…" Seto conceded._

The women were given coconut bras, grass skirts, leis, and flower bracelets and anklets, while the men got grass skirts and leaf bracelets and anklets, to wear over their clothes. Seto felt foolish wearing this over his clothes, but at least he wasn't half-naked under this getup. However, on the other hand, Anastasia looked pretty hot in her getup, even if it was over her dress; she looked like a pinup hula doll, and he wished he could see her in just the coconut bra, grass skirt, and flowers.

"_Someday," his inner self consoled him._ They followed the troupe that was teaching them a hula, and Seto was trying to pay attention, and felt self-conscious and embarrassed missing a few steps. Anastasia, however, was dancing gracefully and following along pretty well. After the troupe taught them, Anastasia was trying to show Seto the steps he missed, and he caught on. As a positive reinforcement, Anastasia gave him a kiss and whispered encouragement in his ear.

"You're doing great, my dragon! And you look sexy," she whispered in his ear, and he chuckled to himself on the last part and whispered in her ear.

"So do you. I kinda wish you were wearing just the coconut bra, grass skirt and flowers," he whispered. Anastasia chuckled and whispered back.

"Later, my dragon. Now let's try to win the contest." Some hula music was played and each participant danced to the best of their ability. Seto was trying to dance, but got distracted by Anastasia's graceful and natural moves, and felt a bit more turned on. Of course, he was disappointed that he had lost, but at least Anastasia was still dancing. Maybe she would win. What was he talking about? Of course, SHE would win. It was down to her and another woman who was feeling quite competitive against Anastasia. Anastasia noticed that the other woman was feeling competitive and determined, dare she say it, even desperate to win. Well, if this woman wanted to win, she was going to have to earn it. Seto was watching with rapt attention. This hula battle was charged with the same competitive energy he felt when he was dueling, especially against Yugi. He was more turned on seeing how calm Anastasia was against this woman as she danced; she was LEAGUES better than the other woman, and she seemed to know it, but she was at least giving the woman a chance to earn her win. He stored that away to remember when she was going to be dueling him; she had a sort of unflappable calmness. The audience happened to like Anastasia better, and Seto was only too happy to lead the cheering for Anastasia, which earned her the win. She was given a crown of flowers and a ribbon sash that read "Best Hula". The other woman was bitterly angry, and Seto felt protective of his wife. He would have to keep Anastasia close.

"_It's sweet you want to protect her, but I'm sure she can handle a bitter loser," Seto's inner self replied. _

"_Yeah, but still, I want to do what I can," Seto protested. _

"_Alrighty then," his inner self dropped it. _

_Anastasia seemed to know that the other woman was bitterly angry with her for winning, and was already calculating in her head what to do. _

"_What is her problem?" Anastasia thought. _

"_She seems like she does hula dance competitions like this and loses often enough she's this angry. Maybe she really wants to be part of the troupe, but has been constantly rejected?" Anastasia's inner self thought. _

"_That's a likely possibility," Anastasia agreed. "It would explain why she's so bitter losing to a stranger who was only there to have fun. In any case, we need to be ready to diffuse any situation she throws at us. I sense dangerous energy from her." _

"_What do you think she will do?" Anastasia's inner self asked. _

"_Hopefully nothing more than a yelling match, but I have a feeling she's going to have some 'help' come jump us," Anastasia theorized. _

"_Jump us? Really?" her inner self asked surprised. _

"_Yes. She's bitter and miserable enough about her loss," Anastasia observed. _

"_Fair point. What do we do about Seto?" her inner self asked. _

"_Hopefully he doesn't try to get involved, but he seems protective and like he will try to protect me, and he probably won't know what to do, so we have to protect him from getting hurt," Anastasia predicted. _

"_How much 'help' do you bet this woman has?" _

"_I bet 10-20," Anastasia wagered. _

"_Easy," Anastasia's inner self remarked confidently. Anastasia nodded. That would be nothing compared to the time she had to face 50 armed assailants by herself._ While she was conversing with her inner self, she was on autopilot smiling for victory pictures, but was snapped back into reality when Seto kissed her, obviously quite proud of her. Anastasia moaned into the kiss, and Seto forced himself away to breathe and calm down.

"_Okay, maybe this was more fun than I thought," Seto admitted. His inner self smirked in response, as if to say "I told you so." _

"My hula queen," Seto beamed proudly at his wife and took pictures with her.

"My hula dragon king," Anastasia replied and gave him another kiss. Seto held her close to him protectively. Anastasia leaned into him, boosting his protective mood and ego. He was determined to keep her safe, and she seemed like he made her feel safe. He held her close to him as they finished the rest of the cruise, all the while being glared at by the bitter woman. After the cruise, they bought souvenir pictures and were waiting with the film crew for the shuttle to take them back to the hotel.

Anastasia's instincts were raised, especially when the bitter woman got on the shuttle with them and glared daggers at them during the ride, except for a few minutes she was texting on her phone. Seto felt uncomfortable with the glared daggers, and held Anastasia closer.

"I'm really starting to hate that woman, at this point more than the loser squad," Seto whispered in Anastasia's ear.

"Me too, Seto, me too," Anastasia whispered back. Seto could sense things were about to get ugly. He was a bit nervous, but was determined to do what he could. He wasn't much of a physical fighter, but if someone messed with Mokuba, and now Anastasia, he was going to turn into a professional boxer or MMA fighter and do what he could to beat the ever-loving crap out of whoever was messing with them. When they got to the hotel and had gotten off at the shuttle stop, a group of about 10 men in their 20/30s surrounded the two of them and were oblivious to the film crew.

"Can we help you?" Seto asked.

"We hear you disrespected our cuz," one of the men replied.

"We did no such thing," Seto protested.

"He's right, we didn't disrespect your cuz," Anastasia agreed.

"Yes, you did, you humiliated her, and we're going to make you pay," another of the group spoke up.

"Pay how?" Seto demanded.

"Intimidation and threats are considered assault, and I'm more than happy to press those charges against you all if you continue," Anastasia threatened, her crystal blue eyes were starting to glow with a dark, deadly rage. The men were oblivious to the rage glowing in her eyes. Seto could pick up on her energy, and started to get in a defensive position, ready to protect her. The men laughed.

"You think that scares us?" another one of the men retorted.

"You men are scum threatening a woman!" Seto snarled, as his sapphire eyes also started to glow with rage.

"And you're scum for disrespecting our cuz!" another man shot back.

"Look, I get you wanting to defend your cuz, but threatening us isn't the way to do it," Anastasia retorted with a deadly calmness. "Plus, I'm giving you one final warning. If you don't stop, I PROMISE you I will make you regret it," Anastasia warned, as her voice started to get a demonic timbre. The gang started to get a little nervous, but they were stupid enough to not want to back down. They surrounded Seto and Anastasia and Seto was ready to start throwing punches and kicks. The men started to throw punches, and quick as lightning, Anastasia grabbed one of the punches and got an opening and then threw Seto out of the circle. Seto was stunned.

"_Wait, what? How did I get out here? Why am I out here?" Seto thought and turned around and gasped in horror as they were attacking his wife, well… trying to at least._ He relaxed as he saw that she was using their weights, inertia, confusion, and lack of speed against them. She was also going for sensitive points and attacking them. She even disarmed a couple of the men. Seto stood there watching incredulously, waiting for a chance to jump in if she needed him, but she didn't; she was beating them so easily by herself. He was a bit turned on at how well she was able to handle herself, but he also felt bad that he couldn't defend her. After she was done beating all 10 of them, the woman tried to attack her, but Anastasia easily took her down. Anastasia was a little sweaty, and a bit sore, and she stretched after.

"Listen here, bitch," Anastasia addressed the woman with venom in her voice. The woman blearily looked up at her. "You need to take anger management classes, therapy, or something to address that bitterness and anger you feel about losing a fucking hula contest that was supposed to be just for fun. You can do that from jail, I suppose," Anastasia snarled as she called the police to come collect the gang. She was trying to calm down. The film crew was stunned.

"Wow," Seto remarked as he pulled her close into a hug. Anastasia wrapped her arms around him when she realized he hugged her, and nuzzled him. Seto was surprised at how quickly she softened with him, but he loved it. She was fierce and powerfully strong, but also tender, sweet and loving. He also felt a little bad that he couldn't and wasn't allowed to help her. "I wish you had let me help defend you," he told her as he rubbed her back gently.

"I was trying to protect you," Anastasia told him as she gazed into his sapphire eyes.

"I wanted to protect you too," Seto replied gently as he caressed the scarred part of her face.

"You would've gotten hurt," Anastasia countered as she leaned into his hand.

"How can you be so sure?" Seto asked.

"Instinct. It definitely wasn't a fair fight, 10 against 2, 2 armed, but I'm also incredibly used to it. I've been fighting for years. This was actually an easy fight, and they got off lucky," Anastasia explained.

"Lucky? Them?" Seto asked incredulously. Anastasia nodded, and Seto accepted that.

"_She was in the military… she's been well-trained to fight and possibly kill," his inner self reminded him. _

"_That's true…" Seto conceded. _

"I wouldn't be able to live with myself if you got hurt, or killed because of stupid men like that, especially on our honeymoon and while we're still bonding and getting to know each other," Anastasia told him with a tender kiss.

"I wouldn't be able to bear it either. Maybe you can teach me some fighting so I can help you," Seto replied.

"Sure thing, my dragon," Anastasia promised. She was touched he wanted to protect her so much. He kissed her gently, and then the police came. They explained to the police what happened and pressed charges on each of the guys in the gang, and the woman. An hour or so later, Seto, Anastasia, and the film crew were released. They decided to go back to the hotel. They were going to shop, but with all the police stuff, they'd have to wait until tomorrow. The film crew left for the night, and Seto and Anastasia got showered, cleaned up, and cuddled on the couch watching TV. Seto caressed her arm and her face and was curious about how she got her scars.

"How did you get your scars?" Seto asked gently.

"My ex…" Anastasia replied, with a slight hint of bitterness.

"Was this when he tried to kill you?" Seto asked gingerly. Anastasia shook her head.

"Before that," Anastasia replied. Seto sighed. He understood that they more or less had similar traumas; they were both damaged by people who were supposed to care for them, but obviously didn't.

"Tell me," Seto implored gently.

"I really shouldn't…" Anastasia protested, remembering her top-secret clearance and her sworn oath to not talk about anything of her service.

"Please?" Seto coaxed. "I told you about mine," he pointed out.

"_Well, you can tell him that your ex was stupid and botched a mission, that's not really violating your oath," Anastasia's inner self pointed out. _

"_I guess you're right," Anastasia replied. _

"Alright… my ex botched a mission. He was careless and stupid. He accidentally splashed me with acid. He was looking at a jar of acid in his hands, not taking proper care to handle it properly, then he tripped and splashed me. I screamed in agony as the acid burned my flesh, and we barely escaped to safety to get me care. I couldn't continue my work until I was healed, which took months, and quite a bit of skin grafts. I was grateful that I wasn't blinded in this eye," Anastasia answered.

"Oh Anastasia, I'm sorry," Seto told her and held her close and kissed her scarred skin. Anastasia smiled.

"Thank you, Seto," Anastasia replied and kissed his lips tenderly. Seto deepened the kiss, and they both moaned into the kiss. He kissed down her neck and Anastasia moaned and tilted her head. Seto moaned as he started to go down her neck closer to her collarbone, and he was above her chest. He was getting excited and overwhelmed again. He stared down at his beautiful wife, panting, and she gazed up at him, also panting.

"_Go ahead, tell her you want to," his inner self encouraged._

"_I'm not ready…" Seto replied, feeling overwhelmed and nervous. His inner self sighed. _

"Excuse me, Cara Mia," Seto excused himself, using Gomez's line. She deserved to hear that, especially after having such a terrible, monster of an ex. He gave her a quick kiss.

"Oui, mon cher," Anastasia replied as he got up and went to the bathroom to relieve himself. She got into bed, waiting for him to join her. She occupied herself with watching TV. She wished she could help him. She knew he wanted to make love to her so bad, but he still wasn't ready and seemed anxious about it. In the meantime, she was going to keep honoring her promise to respect his boundaries and let him make the call, and she would enjoy his thousands of sweet kisses.

After Seto was done relieving himself, he sighed. It really was getting harder to fight his desires to make passionate love to her. She's been his patient angel, which he majorly appreciated. He wanted their first time making love to be special.

"_Honeymoons ARE special," his inner self reminded him. _

"_But we just met a few days ago, it still feels too soon," Seto protested. _

"_She's your wife, and we all know you want it, and it's definitely allowed, it'll feel better than constantly having to take care of yourself," his inner self goaded. _

"_I know… but… not…yet," Seto replied. He was struggling. "Maybe we can make love when we get home, plus my birthday is coming up," Seto suggested. _

"_Okay, if that's what you want to do. Can you wait that long?" his inner self asked. He still had 2 weeks before his birthday. _

"_I'm…sure…I can…wait," Seto declared and took a deep breath to calm down. _

"_Are you sure?" his inner self retorted. _

"…_yes," Seto insisted. _

"_Alright, if you're certain," his inner self replied. _Seto cleaned himself up, washed his hands, and came out of the bathroom and joined her in bed with a heavy sigh as he held her close.

"What's wrong, my dragon?" Anastasia asked as she nuzzled into him.

"Nothing…" Seto lied.

"Dragon, please don't lie to me. Talk to me, please," Anastasia implored. Seto sighed.

"I want to make love, but it still feels soon, and I'm honestly a bit anxious about it. I want it to be special," Seto answered honestly.

"I understand, mon cher," Anastasia replied as she caressed his face.

"What was your first time like?" Seto asked. Anastasia was a little surprised, but relaxed.

"Well, it was after I graduated high school and was about to go to college. I had a boyfriend in high school, and we went to a beach condo during the summer. It was a little awkward to be honest. It was both our first times, and we were nervous. We had been out swimming at the beach and had come inside, and started making out. Then we slowly undressed and admired each other, blushing. We touched each other and kissed, and as things started to heat up, we parted and he put on a condom, and then we resumed. We were going by instinct, and at the time it was satisfying, but we weren't exactly sure of what we were doing. We made love a few more times after that, and each time it got better and more pleasurable because we knew what we were doing and what we liked. Then, at the end of August, we broke up because we were going to different schools, and we didn't want to hold each other back, and that was that," Anastasia explained. Seto listened intently.

"So, first times are typically awkward?" Seto asked.

"I'd say so. It's rarely ever like the movies. There's a lot to figure out, like 'what do you like? What does your partner like? Is this normal? Am I doing this right?' and so on. You NEED to tell your partner what you like and don't like, what you want, what's not working, positioning, pace, etc.," Anastasia explained. Seto nodded in understanding.

"What do you like?" Seto asked. He might as well find out now.

"I like being kissed all over, kissing and sucking my breasts, clitoral stimulation. Sometimes oral is nice. I like roleplaying, costumes, massages, trying different positions and paces, and I like to not be rushed. I don't like anal, being spanked, choked, my lover being overly aggressive and forceful, or disrespecting my boundaries," Anastasia explained. Seto nodded and made mental notes. All of her preferences sounded reasonable.

"I don't want to be whipped or beaten," Seto told her, and shuddered as he remembered how he was whipped and beaten as a child.

"I understand. I won't do that to you. And I am still going to wait for you to tell me when. I will also help you if you need me to," Anastasia promised with a kiss. Seto smiled.

"Thank you. I really appreciate your patience," Seto replied with a kiss.

"You're welcome, mon cher," Anastasia replied as she cuddled into him. Seto held her tight and they fell asleep. Seto was having sex dreams about her, and it was hard for him to sleep. Waiting was going to prove more difficult than he thought; thank God she was patient.

* * *

The next morning, they let the crew in, and went to the breakfast buffet, and after breakfast, they started packing. Anastasia showed Seto how to pack their clothes and souvenirs more efficiently to save space. Seto was impressed at how neatly he was able to fit everything into his suitcase, and made mental notes on the techniques she showed him for the future. Once they had everything packed and ready, they decided to kill some time at the shopping center across the street for any last souvenirs to pick up before their flight to Maui later. They stayed close enough to be within sight distance of each other as they shopped, and the film crew was following them. After a while, Anastasia went to Seto and let him know that she was going to use the restroom so at least he knew where she was for safety reasons, especially after last night. Yes, she was likely able to take down anyone trying to attack her, but still.

"Thanks for letting me know," Seto told her with a quick peck. Anastasia smiled and went to the restroom with half of the film crew following her and waiting outside while the rest of them stayed with Seto. Seto resumed shopping. On the way back from the restroom, Anastasia was approached by a group of about 5 thuggish men who were also oblivious to the film crew.

"_Not again…" her inner self thought. _

"_Tell me about it," Anastasia thought. _

"Hey baby, what's a pretty thing like you doing by yourself?" one of the thugs catcalled her. Anastasia rolled her crystal blue eyes in disgust.

"Hey! We're talking to you! You too good for us?" another thug demanded angrily. Anastasia continued to ignore them and tried to walk around them.

"Oh, you ARE too good for us, well, bitch, we'll make you pay, with a gang bang," another thug threatened as he tried to grab her. Anastasia glared at them viciously, with a livid fire burning in her crystal blue eyes.

"IS THAT SO?! WELL, I WILL MAKE YOU PAY DEARLY WITH BROKEN BONES!" Anastasia snarled loudly, trying to get attention. Seto heard her yelling and was alarmed, and he put what he was looking at down, grabbed their things and ran towards the bathroom with the rest of the film crew following. He heard the men sneering and laughing at her threat.

"It's 5 against 1, babe, and it's not likely anybody is going to come help you," another thug threatened.

"Don't be so sure," Seto retorted, fury burning in his sapphire eyes.

"Who the hell are you?" the thugs asked. Seto smirked.

"Your worst nightmare. Leave my wife alone!" Seto snarled. The thugs laughed.

"Well we'll make you watch as we bang your wife," a thug boasted. Seto was beyond livid. A thug tried to punch him, but Seto landed the punch first, right into his jaw. The thug was stunned and Seto kicked him in the gut and punched him again. Anastasia was impressed that he was able to take one down for disrespecting the both of them, but there was still 4 left. The other guys were stunned at first and then got angry.

"Follow my lead. We'll do this as a team," Anastasia whispered to Seto. Seto nodded. The other thugs started to tighten the circle and tried to attack them. Anastasia held Seto's hand and they did a tag team beating the thugs, with her doing at least 60% of the work. After the thugs were soundly beaten, Anastasia hugged Seto proudly.

"Good job!" Anastasia praised Seto and Seto beamed and kissed her happily. He actually helped her in a fight against 5 thugs who wanted to rape her! Yes, she led, but he actually was able to help her this time! And he wasn't even hurt, aside from aches. The film crew was stunned they caught this on film TWICE now. This was going to make a HELL of a compelling segment for them on TV. Security then came up to them.

"It's about time you get here. We already got them taken care of," Seto told them sarcastically.

"What happened?" the security officers asked.

"I was coming back from the restroom, and these thugs were catcalling me. I rolled my eyes in disgust and kept walking, and they got angry and asked if I was too good for them, and that they would make me pay with a gang bang. I yelled that I would make them pay with broken bones, trying to get attention. They sneered and said that it was 5 against 1, and nobody would help. Then my husband appeared and told them not to be so sure about that. He said he would be their worst nightmare and to leave me alone. They told him that they would bang me and make him watch. My husband got mad and kicked one of the thugs' ass, then we teamed up and beat them together," Anastasia explained. Seto felt a sense of rage building within him hearing her tell the story to the security officers, but he kept it in check. The film crew corroborated the story. The police were called and they were surprised to see them again.

"Again?" The officers asked. Anastasia pursed her lips, widened her eyes a little, and nodded, like "Yeah, again." She and Seto again explained to the police what happened, with the help of the film crew, and pressed charges. A few minutes later, they were released. At least this time it went quicker, and the police had been looking for these guys for other similar crimes. They went back to shopping and got what they needed and then were taken to the airport. They checked their bags and got on the plane to Maui with the film crew, which took only 30 minutes to fly there. They got another lei as they exited the plane. They got their bags and went to the designated car rental place and rented a jeep because Anastasia was more familiar with them. They put their bags in the trunk and Anastasia put the hotel's address in her GPS app and drove them to the hotel. She parked and then unloaded the baggage. She and Seto held hands as they hauled their luggage to the lobby, with the crew following. They got a luggage cart, put their bags on, and then checked in. They got their room keys, and headed up to the room. Like the previous room, there were flower petals on the king-size bed and a basket of snacks. They had an ocean view, and even had access to the Regency Club room where they could get breakfast and snacks all day. Anastasia and Seto smiled. They unloaded their luggage, and Anastasia volunteered to take the cart down.

"I'll come with you, especially since the last time you went off alone, you got accosted by 5 thugs," Seto told her.

"Sure, my dragon," Anastasia agreed.

"Since we're going down together anyway, should we just bring our stuff we need and explore?" Anastasia asked.

"Yeah, good idea," Seto agreed. They got their day bag ready with their swimsuits, towels, her camera, their sunblock, chargers, and she put her phone in her purse, and held his hand as they went down to the lobby and dropped off the luggage cart. She got the car keys to the jeep off the carabiner clip on her purse and they went to the jeep. She set up the small camera the film crew had left with her in the jeep, while the film crew got into a separate vehicle. She drove herself and Seto around the island, with the film crew following, and they found interesting spots to stop and check out and take pictures as the afternoon light started to fade. They caught another gorgeous sunset and grabbed a bite to eat for dinner. When they got back to the hotel, Anastasia decided to teach Seto some fundamental fighting moves so he can continue to help her if she needed it, like how he did that morning. Seto was rapt with attention as he learned, and sparred with her. He felt much more confident that he could better defend Anastasia and Mokuba, if they needed his help. After a good couple hours of learning and sparring, they decided to call it a night and relax. The film crew left them for the night. Seto and Anastasia took their showers and cleaned up, and cuddled close in bed, and watched a bit of TV together.

"Thank you so much for teaching me some fundamental moves for fighting," Seto told her.

"My pleasure, dragon," Anastasia replied. Seto smiled and kissed her.

"I hope I am better able to help you next time," Seto replied.

"You did great today. Thank you for helping me. And the more you train and practice, the better you will be," Anastasia reassured him. Seto beamed with joy, pride, and encouragement. He was determined to get better.

"Since you're teaching me how to fight, I'll start teaching you the fundamentals of dueling when we get back from our adventure tomorrow," Seto promised. Anastasia smiled.

"Sure, my dragon, that sounds good," Anastasia replied and kissed him, which he began to deepen. They moaned into the kiss and Seto parted when it got too intense, but he remained in bed with her, holding her close, unwilling to get out of their cozy embrace. Eventually, his erection went down and he was relieved. They went to sleep, and yet again, he was haunted by sex dreams. Anastasia, however was dreaming of him and herself as a team of superheroes, like Mr. and Mrs. Incredible, or Superman and Wonder Woman, based on what happened this morning; it was actually kinda hot to her. She really loved how he was so opposite to her monster of an ex. She loved how he wanted so badly to protect her and keep her safe, and how he essentially came running to help her when he heard her yelling. She loved how he was so tender with her, especially when she told him about the shitty things her ex had done to her. She was definitely falling in love with him, and wanted to tell him, but like how he felt it was too soon to make love, she felt it was too soon to say "I love you," or call him "my love."

"_Mon cher is pretty close to calling him 'my love'," her inner self pointed out. "Just say it if you feel it." _Anastasia nodded and decided she was right. There was love there, and she might as well say it. She hoped he would say it back, but she understood if he wasn't ready to say it.

* * *

The next morning, Seto and Anastasia woke up at about 5:30 to get ready for their adventure on the Road to Hana today. At about 6:30, the shuttle came to pick them and the crew up, and took them to Kahului for a continental breakfast. After breakfast, a professional guide picked them up and started the tour, taking great care to make it as smooth as possible while entertaining them with information about the points of interest. They saw the most beautiful waterfalls, flowers, and rainbow eucalyptus trees on various stops of the rainforest tour. They took lots of pictures of the gorgeous scenery, and pictures of the two of them together. They also stopped at various roadside stands for snacks and souvenirs. They also went to see the lush Wailua Valley from Wailua Overlook, and they went to the black sand beach at Waianapanapa. They also went to the famed Oheo Gulch where they got to swim in the famous 7 pools. They enjoyed swimming there for a little while, and then went to Hana Town and Bay and got a taste of the local culture. Then, they stopped at the Hana Flower Gardens for a picnic lunch, where they had delicious barbecue with a mango flavor, and took lots of pictures with the flowers. After lunch, they went to Palapala Ho'omau located in the Kipahulu district of Maui to see more attractions, including the gravesite of the one and only Charles Lindbergh, the legendary pilot. After that, they went to Kaupo and the windswept backside of Maui. After everything, the guide took them back to the hotel at about 5:00 p.m. They got showered and cleaned up, and then Seto decided to teach Anastasia how to duel. He was impressed that she was paying close attention and adding to her notes, and she seemed quick as she was learning. She was really determined to learn this, and it made him happy. He made a recommendation of a warrior-type deck for her because she truly was a warrior, and it was a nod to her military service. He even slipped a few dragon-type monster cards in her deck to remind her of him anytime she'd duel, which made her smile. He explained the cards and what they did, and Anastasia was taking lots of notes and asking questions. After a while, they decided to go to the Regency Club to get some dinner, and then cuddled in bed watching a movie on TV.

"Thank you for teaching me about dueling, my love," Anastasia thanked him, testing out the word love. Seto was caught off guard.

"What did you say?" Seto asked, trying to make sure he heard right. Did she call him "my love"?

"Thank you for teaching me about dueling, my love," Anastasia repeated. So, he DID hear right, she DID call him "my love." Seto was stunned. That was the first time he'd heard that since he was a little kid, when his mother would call him, his father, and unborn Mokuba "my love", before she passed away. Anastasia was surprised he was so caught off guard.

"Seto? Are you okay?" Anastasia asked. Seto noticed that she had used his name and realized that she was serious about what she called him, and he was trying to find the right response, but all he could do was hold her tighter against him.

"Did you really mean the 'my love' part?" Seto asked. He had been without love for so long, it felt alien to him. Sure, there was mutual love between him and Mokuba, and his closest staff cared about him and Mokuba, but that was it. He really hoped this was a genuine love she felt. He was also surprised she felt it this soon, after knowing him for less than a week, but he didn't care.

"Yes, Seto, I do mean it," Anastasia replied seriously.

"Are you certain? Even after just a few days?" Seto asked, his sapphire eyes, desperately searching her crystal blue eyes for truth. He had to be sure. He was understandably guarded and didn't want to get his hopes up.

"Yes, I know it's soon, but I started falling in love with you after all the time we've spent at each other's sides and in each other's arms, and I really am touched with how you've shown me you care about me, especially after I told you about what happened with my ex. I totally understand if it's too soon for you to feel it or say it back, but I had to say it," Anastasia admitted.

"_Don't cry… Don't cry…" Seto told himself. _

"_It's okay, you can cry with her," his inner self told him. _

"_I don't want to be filmed crying," Seto retorted. _

"_Tell them to leave," his inner self replied. Seto nodded._

"I want them to leave, right now," Seto whispered so only she could hear. Anastasia gave him a peck and looked to the crew.

"Okay, that's enough for today guys, see you all in the morning," Anastasia bade. The crew was surprised, but packed their equipment and left. Once they were gone, Seto pulled her tight against him and let himself break down crying tears of joy into her shoulder. He didn't think he would be so affected by two little words, but here he was. Someone actually loved him, and he appreciated how she listened to him and got the film crew to leave so he would be comfortable. Anastasia was concerned.

"Seto? Are you ok?" Anastasia asked gently and rubbed his back as he cried, trying to help him feel better.

"Say it again, please," Seto requested.

"My love?" Anastasia asked to clarify. Seto's heart soared like a firework into the night sky, and he smiled broadly and nodded through his joyful tears.

"Thank you," Seto thanked her. "I'm going to be honest, I never thought I would hear those two words like that."

"Really?" Anastasia asked surprised. Seto nodded.

"I haven't been loved in a LONG time. Sure, I love Mokuba, and that's mutual, and I know Rosa, Roland, and Edward care about us, but that's it. Aside from that, after both of our parents had died, and after our family dumped Mokuba and me off at the orphanage, I haven't heard anyone say love to Mokuba or me, and actually mean it. Mokuba hasn't heard it either. After hearing you say 'my love', my heart soared, and I actually felt so jubilantly happy. I hate that I'm crying though," Seto explained.

"Oh, my love, that's awful," Anastasia replied as she heard his sad story. He was so starved for love, just hearing her say "my love" made him so happy. "And it's okay to cry," she added.

"But it's so…unmanly… and makes me look weak and pathetic," Seto protested. It went against everything what he was. He had never been allowed to cry, especially after his family dumped him and Mokuba at the orphanage, and when Gozaburo adopted them, lest he be seen as weak.

"Hey, you know, ALL the strongest people are the ones who freely express their emotions, opinions be damned. I thought you didn't care about what people thought of you," Anastasia told him with a smile, trying to make him feel better.

Seto chuckled through his tears, realizing that she was right, and kissed her deeply, which she eagerly responded to. He was so impassioned in the kiss, he pulled her tighter against him, where she could feel his rock-hard erection pressing into her, but as usual, he pulled away when he was feeling overwhelmed, and held her for a bit, wanting it to go down. Seto and Anastasia continued to lie in each other's arms. Seto sighed, and then decided to ask her about something he was curious about.

"Anastasia?" Seto began.

"Yes, my dragon?" Anastasia replied, using his more familiar endearment.

"When you said you could 'help me', with my…arousal, how do you mean?" Seto asked.

"Well, you have 4 options. Option one: I can give you a hand job. Option two: I can give you oral pleasure. Option three: we can make love. Option four: I can buy you a sex toy that simulates a vagina, and you can use that to help you. The choice is yours," Anastasia explained honestly. She wanted to give him options so he could decide the best way for her to help him. Seto thought about it, and decided he wanted to do option four. He appreciated that she gave him that option too. At least the toy would help him practice enough before he'd feel ready to make love to Anastasia; he wanted it to be good, and not-so-awkward, and he needed to know what to do.

"I want to do option four," Seto told her.

"Alright, we'll look for a shop tomorrow to get one, in the meantime, you can take care of yourself, or just lie here with me and relax," Anastasia offered. Seto held her close, until it was too uncomfortable, and he got up to use the restroom and relieve himself. While he was in the bathroom, Anastasia looked up sex shops in the area and found one that was consecutively named the best adult gift shop for at least 4 years in a row. It was called the Love Shack Maui. It was good they were going tomorrow; it was at least a 49-minute drive from the hotel. After Seto came out of the bathroom, Anastasia told him about the shop. Seto nodded and got back into bed with her, holding her close, and caressed her beautiful face and gazed into her crystal blue eyes. There was a new glow on his face and in his sapphire eyes since she called him "my love."

"You're glowing," Anastasia pointed out.

"I am?" Seto asked surprised.

"Yes, I can see it in your face and eyes. Joy looks good on you," she complimented him. Seto smiled and blushed.

"You are adorable," Anastasia complimented him.

"No I'm not," Seto insisted which made Anastasia giggle. She kissed him lightly, trying to not to excite him too much.

"_Do you love her?" his inner self asked. _

"_I'm definitely falling in love with her," Seto admitted. _

"_You could tell her. You know for certain that she loves you," his inner self pointed out. _

"_I'm not sure if I'm ready," Seto protested. His inner self growled irritably. _

"_I guess you're a coward," his inner self shot back irritably. _

"_I am not!" Seto insisted. _

"_SO TELL HER! SHE WAS BOLD ENOUGH TO SAY IT FIRST! AND YOU ARE FEELING SOMETHING FOR HER! SHE MADE YOU SO HAPPY AFTER CALLING YOU 'MY LOVE', YOU COULD RETURN THE FEELING! AT LEAST TELL HER YOU'RE STARTING TO FALL IN LOVE WITH HER!" his inner self snapped. He made some excellent points… _

"Anastasia?" Seto began, briefly parting from the light kisses.

"Hmm?" Anastasia asked.

"I… want you to know… I'm…-" Seto began.

"You're what?" Anastasia encouraged him to continue. Seto took a breath.

"I'm…starting to… fall in love…with you…" Seto managed to confess. Anastasia was surprised.

"Really?" Anastasia asked to confirm. Seto nodded. Anastasia beamed and hugged him tight and kissed him happily. Seto kissed back and parted to breathe and calm down. He held her tight. They eventually went to sleep, and they both had dreams about how happy they were after confessing that they were starting to fall in love with each other.

* * *

The next day, they let the film crew in and had breakfast in the Regency Club and got ready for their adventures. Today, they were going to have a helicopter tour, and going shopping for other souvenirs, as well as going to the sex shop Anastasia promised to take him to. Anastasia drove to the helipad and they were taken into the air with the helicopter and admired the lush beauty of the island and the water from the air. Anastasia happily took pictures of the beautiful scenery, and had the camera the film crew had left with her to film them while they were in the helicopter. After the aerial tour, they stopped to get lunch in a café not far from there. After lunch, they went to Love Shack Maui and the film crew followed. Seto was a little uncomfortable looking at everything, but holding Anastasia's hand helped. He couldn't believe there were so many tools for sex. As they passed by the whips and BDSM tools, Seto involuntarily shuddered and had brief flashbacks of being whipped and beaten by his stepfather's servants. Anastasia squeezed his hand to reassure him that she was there, and quickly pulled him to her other side to try and put a little bit more distance between him and the whips, and quickly led him away from them. Seto realized what she was doing and was grateful.

"Thank you, my love," Seto whispered and kissed her head. Anastasia smiled.

"My pleasure, mon cher," Anastasia whispered back, trying to lighten the mood with a Morticia reference. Seto realized that she quoted Morticia and remembered Gomez and Morticia's relationship dynamic, and chuckled a little. They would have a field day in this shop, and he started to relax a little. Anastasia led him around the shop and found the vaginal simulator toy. Seto felt a little embarrassed.

"Don't be embarrassed, mon cher," Anastasia whispered. Seto felt a little better. This was to help him. Anastasia also picked up a book of positions, lubes, condoms, love dice, handcuffs, and a blindfold.

"What's all this for?" Seto asked.

"For when you are ready. It's better to have everything ready ahead of time," Anastasia replied matter of factly.

"Makes sense," Seto agreed. Anastasia bought the stuff and they left, hiding the bag in the backseat, under the sun visor. Anastasia set the camera up in the jeep again and drove around the island exploring, stopping for pictures, and bought some more souvenirs, while the film crew followed in their vehicle behind them. They also stopped at an art gallery and Anastasia was happy to see the art. Seto loved the joy in her eyes as she admired the art. He surprised her by buying one of her favorite artworks on display. Anastasia beamed and kissed him and hugged him. Seto smiled and held her tight. They also watched a glass blowing demonstration and Seto was fascinated watching it. He decided to commission a glass piece of a Blue Eyes White Dragon in mid flight with a red phoenix. He paid for it to be made right away, and they sat and watched fascinated as the glass artists made it. When the artists finished, they carefully packaged it to protect it from breaking. Anastasia also bought some small glass pieces as souvenirs.

They continued to explore the island, and later ate dinner and caught another sunset as they walked around. Then, went back to the hotel. The film crew parted for the night. Seto helped her carry the bags in and once they got showered and relaxed, Seto decided to look at the positions book, and imagined himself and Anastasia trying them, and decided to try his toy in the bathroom. He felt a little awkward, but it actually did help. She was definitely right. He couldn't wait for the real thing. After he finished and cleaned himself and the toy up, he rejoined Anastasia in bed. Anastasia put the book she was reading down and cuddled close to him.

"Did it help?" Anastasia asked, as her crystal blue eyes gazed up at him.

"Yes, you were…right," Seto replied, feeling awkward admitting someone else was right. He never liked admitting that others were right. Anastasia smiled.

"I'm glad I could help you that way," Anastasia told him happily.

"Thank you, my love," Seto thanked her and kissed her.

"You're welcome, my love," Anastasia replied. Seto smiled and held her tight, just savoring the peacefulness of her being in his arms. They eventually fell asleep and had sweet dreams.

* * *

The next morning, they woke up and got ready to go on their snorkeling adventure in Molokini Crater and Turtle Town. They boarded a catamaran with the film crew and ate breakfast as they sailed to the crescent-shaped islet. The crew demonstrated proper technique for the dives and explained what to expect and how to use the sanitized equipment. Seto and Anastasia rented a couple underwater cameras, put the reef-safe sunblock on, got ready, and put the sanitized equipment on and descended into the water after the guide. The crew joined them and they followed the guide underwater and admired the beauty of all the fish, coral, anemone, the sea turtles, dolphins, and stingrays. Anastasia was utterly fascinated by the animals and there was pure joy on her face, especially when she got to hang onto the dorsal fin of the dolphin and swim alongside it, as well as with the turtles. She took pictures of everything she saw. Seto thought her joy was so endearingly pure and beautiful, and felt his heart melt a little more. He couldn't resist taking pictures of her pure joy. He also asked the guide if they could take a picture of the both of them, which they did. After snorkeling, they had lunch aboard the catamaran, and sipped on Mai Tais. They got their pictures printed from the underwater cameras and Anastasia blushed at the pictures Seto had taken of her when she was happily cavorting with the animals. When they got back to the hotel, they got showered and cleaned up and wore their matching orchid print outfits they bought at the beginning of the trip that Anastasia had steamed to remove the wrinkles and disinfect them. Anastasia got made up and left her scarlet hair down in loose waves. The film crew filmed tasteful scenes of them getting ready to go to the luau. They then went downstairs and presented their tickets for the "Drums of the Pacific" luau, and took their place at one of the long tables under the majestically painted sunset sky on Ka'anapali Beach. At about 6:00, the luau was kicked off when a roasted pig was unearthed from an underground oven and placed at the buffet to the sound of drums and a performer blowing into a conch shell. Anastasia and Seto got their plates of delicious island food, specifically Imu Kalua pork, macadamia nut crusted island fish, Polynesian rice, seasonal fruits and vegetables, Kauai taro poi, taro rolls with whipped lilikoi butter, and a couple of Mai Tais. For dessert, they chose to get a couple pieces of pineapple cake. They enjoyed their dinner and watched as the drums heralded the start of the show. Hula dancers started to dance to a wide repertoire of songs from Hawaii, Samoa, Fiji, New Zealand, Tahiti, Tonga, and Rarotonga. They watched as hula dancers taught willing participants some hula moves. Seto and Anastasia exchanged a knowing smirk as they remembered when they were in the hula contest together. At the end of the show, they watched a dazzling fire dance. After the show was finished, they went upstairs to their room and once safely locked in their room, away from everyone and the camera crew, Seto pulled her into a passionate kiss, feeling emboldened by the booze from the Mai Tais. He whispered into her ear.

"Remember when I told you that I think it would be hot if you danced a hula wearing nothing but the grass skirt, coconut bra, and the flowers?" Seto asked.

"Yeah?" Anastasia asked.

"Would you dance a hula like that for me?" Seto requested. Anastasia chuckled.

"Sure," Anastasia consented with a light kiss and went to get the outfit and went to the bathroom to change. Seto was excited as he sat on the bed and waited for her to come out.

Anastasia stripped completely down and put the grass skirt on, then the coconut bra, and put her lei and the flower bracelets and anklets on, and came out of the bathroom, and started to dance a hula for him, letting him see flashes of her naked body from under the grass skirt. Seto watched mesmerized and was definitely aroused. He pulled her into his lap and kissed her passionately and hungrily, moaning into the kiss. Anastasia also moaned into the kiss and could feel him bucking up to her, inhibited by his clothes. Anastasia moaned into the kiss and tilted her head when he kissed down her neck, and down to her coconut bra.

"Are you ready? Are you sure you want this? We've been drinking, and we should be sober," Anastasia asked. Seto pulled away panting and held her tight, keeping her straddled on his lap. He was overwhelmed with passion and she was right; they needed to be sober for this to be right and perfect, but he wanted her here right now, just sitting on his lap, and just holding her. Anastasia understood and nuzzled him as she remained straddled on his lap, in his embrace. After about 30 minutes of holding her on his lap, he let her go and went to the bathroom with his toy and relieved himself, while Anastasia got dressed in her nightgown and some panties, and started to pack to distract herself. Seto came out after cleaning himself and his toy up and saw her packing, and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.

"Thank you for dancing for me and staying in my embrace," Seto whispered in her ear and kissed her head.

"My pleasure, my dragon," Anastasia replied. "Let's start packing so we're ready to go tomorrow."

"Alright. I can't believe we're going home already tomorrow," Seto remarked.

"Yeah. This week has been heaven," Anastasia replied.

"It really has. I haven't had a vacation in so long, and the company was fantastic," Seto told her with a kiss. Anastasia smiled into the kiss. "Are you excited about moving in with me and Mokuba?"

"Yes, I am," Anastasia assured him. Seto smiled and held her a moment and let go to start packing just like she had taught him.

"About moving in, I have some things I need to discuss with you," Anastasia told him as they packed.

"What's on your mind?" Seto asked curiously.

"I have a collection of weapons… I have a permit for them, and I use them for home defense. Old habit from my service days, and you can never be too careful living alone. Would it be okay with you if I bring them? We could store them in the room beside our room," Anastasia requested. Seto thought about it.

"As long as we secure them so only you can access them, then yes. I'm not particularly fond of having weapons in the mansion, but I trust you," Seto told her. Anastasia smiled and gave him a kiss.

"Thank you. If you want, I can teach you on them too," Anastasia offered.

"I'll think about it," Seto replied.

"Fair enough," Anastasia agreed. "Don't forget your promise of coming home on time for dinner, and training with me in the morning," she reminded him.

"I haven't forgotten," Seto assured her.

"Good," Anastasia replied with a smile. "I was thinking that we can have date nights once a week on Fridays, and family days on Saturdays. I was also thinking that we can have lunch together at least once a week," she suggested.

"I can get on board with that. What day should we have lunch together? Would we meet at a restaurant or one of our offices?" Seto asked.

"I was thinking Wednesdays, that way it gives us something to look forward to in the drudgery of the middle of the week, and we can go back and forth to each other's offices," Anastasia suggested. Seto smiled.

"I like that," Seto agreed.

"Good, I like it too," Anastasia replied, and kissed to seal the deal. They finished packing and cuddled close while in bed. They fell asleep happily.

* * *

The next day, they ensured they had everything and checked out of the hotel and loaded up the jeep with their bags, and Anastasia drove to the airport to the rental vehicle check in. They unloaded their bags and checked the jeep in, and hauled the bags to check in. They checked in their suitcases and held their carry-on bags that held their more fragile items and the stuff they were going to use to occupy their time while on the plane. They upgraded to first class and they waited to board. While they waited, Seto let Roland, Edward, Rosa, and Mokuba know they were coming home and would arrive in about 7 hours and 30 minutes. Edward assured him that he would be waiting at the airport for them. Seto also asked Roland to convert the bedroom next to theirs into a secure storage room for Anastasia's weapons, with a connecting door from their room, and to install secure bio-locks like retinal scanners, and Anastasia could set it up. Roland was surprised but assured him that it would be taken care of. Mokuba was excited they were coming home and couldn't wait to see them. Anastasia let her friend who was housesitting know that she would be there that evening.

While they were on the plane, Seto continued to work with her and teach her about dueling. They did duel work for a couple hours, and then watched a movie together and rested. After about 7 hours and 45 minutes, they got off the plane and then went to get their baggage. They found Edward waiting for them. Anastasia greeted him with a friendly hug, and Seto shook his hand. Edward loaded the suitcases and carry-on bags in the trunk and opened the door for them and the film crew, and then drove them home to the mansion.

* * *

**A/N:** Btw, I Googled a lot of information about the locations and things Seto and Anastasia experienced in this chapter.

The next chapter will focus on Seto and Anastasia adjusting to married life back in Domino, and Bakura, Marik, and Anastasia's ex will make their appearance.

Don't forget to review! New reviews= immediate release of new chapters.


	3. Settling In

**A/N:** Hello my dear fans/readers! It certainly has been a while since I'd seen y'all last! Things had been real busy on my end with the holidays, work, and just generally trying to make sure this chapter was great. I've had a lot more time recently in quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic to write, and now I am finally ready to bring y'all ch. 3! YAY!

I'd like to give a big shout out to my good friend Matt who helped me with this chapter. I would also like to give shout-outs and thank yous to Kaibaiskrazy and RandomCelebLover for their reviews that allowed for immediate release once I finished this chapter.

Heads up: There WILL be a couple slightly NSFW scenes later on in this chapter. As usual, I have marked them in case you'd like to skip for whatever reason. However, **THERE ARE NO LEMONS IN THIS CHAPTER.** (Next chapter there will be though).

We also do get a few more peeks of Anastasia's past, along with introducing (dark) Bakura and Marik closer to the end. We also see Seto and Anastasia butting heads just a little as she moves in and settles in with Seto and Mokuba, and also dealing with the ever-obnoxious fangirls.

Strap yourselves in and enjoy the ride, and don't forget to leave a review. New reviews= immediate release of new chapters.

* * *

Once Seto and Anastasia arrived at the mansion, Anastasia and the crew were astonished at how opulently large the mansion was, which earned a chuckle from Seto.

"Welcome home, sweetheart," Seto told her with a light kiss.

"Wow!" Anastasia exclaimed. Edward opened the door for them and helped them out.

"Thank you, Edward," Anastasia thanked him, which made him smile.

"Yes, thank you," Seto told him, spurred by Anastasia. Edward was surprised Seto thanked him. He had never heard him say it before, but he was thrilled. The crew also thanked him, not wanting to seem ungrateful either.

"You're welcome," Edward replied as he got the luggage out of the trunk, and had the servants help bring them and the fragile carry-on luggage inside to Seto and Anastasia's room. When the door opened and after the servants had gone through the door with the luggage, Mokuba came running out to greet them, tailed by Roland and Rosa.

"You're home! You're finally home!" Mokuba exclaimed excitedly and swept his brother and his new sister-in-law in a bear hug. Seto and Anastasia chuckled at how excited he was.

"Looks like someone missed us," Anastasia observed.

"You bet! It's been lonely," Mokuba admitted. "How was Hawaii?! Tell me everything!"

"We'll tell you in a bit," Seto promised as he ruffled his little brother's shaggy black hair.

"Okay!" Mokuba exclaimed with the enthusiasm of a puppy.

"Welcome home Mr. Kaiba, Mrs. Kaiba," Roland greeted.

"Welcome home Seto and Anastasia!" Rosa greeted happily. Seto and Anastasia smiled.

"Thank you, Roland, Rosa," Anastasia replied and gave them a warm hug. Rosa and Roland were surprised but loved the hug.

"Thank you, Roland, Rosa," Seto echoed. Roland and Rosa were surprised and delighted, and exchanged glances. They were impressed at how good of an influence Anastasia was on him already, not to mention the fact that he looked so happy with her.

"I made your favorites for dinner," Rosa told them. She had remembered what Anastasia had told her at the brunch after the wedding about what she liked to eat and what she couldn't tolerate. Anastasia beamed.

"Aww, thank you Rosa!" Anastasia thanked her. It was nice to be welcomed home with her favorite dinner. Rosa beamed. It was so nice to be appreciated.

"Thank you, Rosa," Seto and Mokuba echoed. Rosa beamed more as Seto and Mokuba thanked her. Rosa led them to the dining room where a banner read "Welcome Home Seto and Anastasia" and there were a few hibiscus mylar balloons.

"This is so sweet! I love this!" Anastasia exclaimed happily. Mokuba, Rosa, and Roland beamed. It was Mokuba's idea to put a banner up and put up balloons, Roland and Rosa just helped set them up.

"Thanks Anastasia! I'm glad you like it!" Mokuba replied happily.

"This is great, Mokuba," Seto told him with a smile.

"Thanks, Seto," Mokuba replied and smiled wider. Seto and Mokuba took their normal seats, and Anastasia sat between them. Rosa served them their dinner, and Anastasia smiled.

"This looks fantastic, thank you Rosa," Anastasia thanked her.

"Thank you, Rosa," Seto and Mokuba echoed, and they started eating.

"How is it?" Rosa asked Anastasia eagerly, hoping it was just how she liked it.

"It's fantastic!" Rosa beamed happily.

"You always make delicious food, Rosa," Mokuba complimented her.

"Yes, you do," Seto agreed.

"Thank you!" Rosa thanked them, happy to receive such praise and gratitude.

"Why don't you have a seat, and we can tell you all about our adventures?" Anastasia invited Rosa, Roland, and Edward, which they happily took seats across from them and listened intently while Seto and Anastasia told them about their adventures in between bites.

"We also have a bunch of souvenirs for all of you," Anastasia told them.

"Aww, really? That's so sweet! You didn't have to do that for us!" Rosa told Anastasia happily.

"Thank you, that is sweet," Roland and Edward replied with a smile.

"Oh, it's no problem," Anastasia assured them. When they finished eating, Anastasia and Seto excused themselves to get the camera, pictures, and souvenirs with the film crew following. Seto held Anastasia's hand as he led them to his, and now Anastasia's bedroom. He opened the door, and Anastasia's and the crew's jaws dropped at how luxurious and spacious the room was. Seto had an elegant four post bed with silk sapphire sheets, and a cozy comforter on a plush, king-size memory foam mattress, a huge walk-in closet, a huge private bathroom, dressers, bookshelves, a couch, a 55" TV, and paintings of him and Mokuba, and Blue Eyes White Dragons. He had light blue carpet on the floor with sapphire blue accents. In the corner of his room near the bookcases and the couch and TV, there was the pile of wedding gifts.

"How do you like our room?" Seto asked her.

"It's beautiful, and it's probably bigger than my house!" Anastasia remarked incredulously. Seto chuckled, smirked, and gave her a kiss.

"Welcome home," Seto told her sweetly. He couldn't wait to have her move in and share his room and bed with him. Her presence would definitely make their room feel warm, cozy, romantic, and welcoming.

"Thank you," Anastasia replied with a smile and a light kiss.

While they were getting the souvenirs, the camera, and the pictures, Seto stole a few kisses, which made Anastasia blush and smile. Seto smiled and got the bag full of souvenirs meant for Rosa, Edward, Roland, and Mokuba while Anastasia carried the camera and pictures. Anastasia put the pictures on the table with her camera, and helped Seto hand out the souvenirs. Mokuba, Rosa, Roland, and Edward were so excited about their souvenirs and thanked Anastasia and Seto, and marveled over the pictures. They especially loved the pictures of Seto and Anastasia looking so happy together.

"So, what's next for you two?" Mokuba asked curiously.

"Well, this week, I'm moving in with Seto and you, and then we start adjusting to regular married life. I also have to stop by my house tonight to relieve my friend who was house-sitting and taking care of my baby girl, Stella, and bring Stella here. Seto and I also were talking and we agreed that he and I would be up at 5:00 a.m. training together, and that you and him would promise to be home on time so we can have dinner together as a family. We also agreed that Friday nights are date nights, Saturdays are family days, which means that you, me, and Seto would do something together as a family, and that we would have lunch together once a week on Wednesdays to have something to look forward to that would help with the drudgery of the middle of the week," Anastasia explained.

"Wait, hold up, you have a baby girl at home?" Rosa asked surprised. Anastasia showed them a picture of Stella. "Oh! You have a fur-baby!" Rosa exclaimed as she realized what she meant.

"Yeah. She's about 4 years old, and is a former Military Working Dog, or MWD for short. She is such a good girl. She had to retire because of her injuries, but she is perfectly fine otherwise," Anastasia explained.

"Oh, I see. What happened to her? How did she get injured?" Mokuba inquired.

"She was pulling injured soldiers off the battlefield and was too close to an explosion," Anastasia explained.

"Oh dear, poor Stella," Mokuba remarked.

"She's perfectly fine," Anastasia assured him.

"That's good, I'm glad," Rosa and Mokuba replied.

"That also sounds like a fair schedule," Mokuba remarked. "I'm especially happy that we will be having family time together."

"Of course. We definitely need family time. It's nice to have a family again," Anastasia replied.

"You don't have any family besides us?" Mokuba remarked surprised.

"Nope," Anastasia answered.

"Well, I'm glad you're part of our family now," Mokuba retorted with a smile and hugged her.

"Thank you Mokuba, that really means a lot," Anastasia told him as they hugged. Seto watched with a smile on his face. He was happy that she had accepted Mokuba, and Mokuba accepted her, and his staff really liked her too. Rosa pulled Seto aside.

"Do NOT scare her away," she warned Seto in a motherly tone.

"I don't think she will be scared away that easily," Seto assured her.

"Is that so?" Rosa demanded.

"Yes, that IS so," Seto declared.

"How do you know?" Rosa demanded, as her deep, brown eyes narrowed.

"I watched her take down 10 men on her own, 2 of them being armed, and another woman when they tried to attack us. She also teamed up with me and we both took down 5 other men who wanted to rape her, and she led. She is ex-military with top-secret classified clearance. I've seen her eyes glow with a deadly rage when truly angered, and heard her demonic voice. She was using that to defend herself, and me," Seto explained. Rosa was surprised.

"Really?" She asked incredulously.

"Really," Seto confirmed. Rosa was astonished.

"Well, I'm glad your temper won't scare her away, but I still don't want you pushing her away either when you get busy with work," she replied. Seto gave her a bit of a scowl like how a teenager would scowl at their parents for a remark like that. "Don't look at me like that, I know how you get," Rosa retorted. Seto softened a little, realizing she was right. He did tend to have an attitude, and a habit of getting too involved with his work. He did tell Anastasia on their wedding day about his typical personality.

"On the bright side, she makes me happy, and she is so patient and sweet. And she called me 'my love', and I told her I was starting to fall in love with her," Seto told her. Rosa's eyes widened in surprise.

"Wow!" she exclaimed.

"I know," Seto replied.

"Well, I'm glad you're happy. You really do deserve happiness," Rosa told him with a maternal caress of his cheek. Seto smiled.

"Thank you, Rosa," Seto replied and went back to see Anastasia and Mokuba looking over pictures on her camera and discussing the souvenirs.

"I'm glad you and Seto had fun. You both look happy," Mokuba observed.

"I am happy, and I'm sure he's happy too," Anastasia replied.

"Please keep him that way. It's been so long since he's been happy," Mokuba requested somberly.

"I'll do my best," Anastasia promised. Mokuba smiled broadly.

"And I'll do my best to keep you happy too," Seto promised. They both looked up at Seto.

"I'll hold you to that," Anastasia retorted with a smile and Seto pulled her close and gave her a light kiss. Mokuba grinned like a Cheshire cat.

"We should probably go to my house and see my friend," Anastasia suggested, changing the subject.

"Yeah, let's do that," Seto agreed. He let her go so she could get the souvenirs for her friend. She got the souvenirs for her friend together, her phone, her camera, and the printed pictures, and called her friend and let her know that they were coming. Anastasia and Seto then went to Edward.

"What can I do for you, Seto and Anastasia?" Edward asked.

"Could you please take us to my house? I need to relieve my friend and pick up Stella, my dog," Anastasia requested.

"Absolutely, Anastasia," Edward replied with a smile.

"Thank you," Anastasia replied with a grateful smile and told him her address. Edward pulled it up on his GPS and helped Seto, Anastasia, and the crew into the limo, and drove them to her house. When they pulled up into the driveway alongside her friend's and her cars and got out of the limo, Anastasia could hear Stella barking as she tended to do whenever she heard something outside. Anastasia smiled. She had missed her sweet Stella. She got her keys out and held Seto's hand as they went to the door while the crew followed. She unlocked the door and heard Stella barking and sniffing at the door.

"Is that my girl?" Anastasia asked through the door and could hear Stella whining and scratching at the door. She opened the door a crack and saw Stella's nose in the crack. "I see a nose!" Anastasia exclaimed to Stella and heard her happy whining. Stella then nudged the door open and started barking and whining excitedly as she saw her human mama. She was so excited to see her! She had missed her human mama terribly. Anastasia got down to her level and Stella was doing everything her power to lean into her and be in her human mama's arms and smell every new scent on her.

"Oh, my girl! Mama missed you!" Anastasia exclaimed happily as Stella barked and whined happily and licked her face repeatedly. Seto and the film crew watched with a smile at how Anastasia loved on her happy dog. Stella then left her human mama's side and rushed to the door to go outside and go potty and do some zoomies to burn off some excited energy. Anastasia opened the door and let Stella out. Sally, Anastasia's friend then approached Anastasia.

"Hey Sally! It's good to see you!" Anastasia greeted with a hug.

"It's good to see you too!" Sally replied with the hug. "I had to give Stella a moment to greet you first. She REALLY missed you," Sally told her.

"I can see that. I'd like you to meet my husband, Seto Kaiba," Anastasia introduced Seto and held his arm.

"Wow, you married Seto Kaiba?! That's awesome!" Sally exclaimed, happy for her friend.

"Nice to meet you," Seto told her with a friendly smile as he shook her hand.

"Likewise," Sally replied. She was a bit starstruck, but remained respectful.

"And this is the film crew that's following us for the show," Anastasia gestured to the crew.

"Hello," Sally greeted them with a wave, which they greeted with a hello and a wave back. Anastasia then sat on the couch with Seto and Sally, and Sally told her everything that went on that week and how Stella did, and showed her pictures of her and Stella having fun together. Anastasia smiled in delight that Stella did well with her. As Sally was telling her about the week she and Stella had and was showing her the pictures, Stella came in and realized there were more people that came with her human mama, and she started to growl uneasily.

"Stella, baby, come here. It's okay," Anastasia assured her. Stella came closer cautiously.

"Just relax and hold your hands at your sides where she can smell you, and just don't pay any attention to her. She needs to get used to your presence," Anastasia instructed Seto and the crew. Seto and the crew nodded and left their hands at their sides and continued what they were doing while Stella came up to them and sniffed their hands, identifying them. She could smell her human mama's scent on Seto, and realized that he was okay. She also eventually relaxed around the crew, and then came to lay at her human mama's feet while they talked. Seto and Anastasia told Sally all about their adventures over the week, and showed her the pictures. Sally loved seeing the pictures and how happy her friend was. Anastasia also gave Sally the souvenirs she'd gotten for her as a thank you gift for housesitting and taking good care of Stella. She also paid Sally the money she owed her for housesitting for her. Sally got her bags, and loaded them in her car, with Edward's help. Sally gave Anastasia the house key back, gave her a hug, and gave one last pet to Stella before leaving. After Sally had left, Anastasia started getting Stella's things together, and Edward, Seto, and the crew helped put Stella's things in the trunk of the limo. Anastasia put Anastasia's leash on Stella and Stella got excited.

"Wanna go for a ride in the car?" Stella barked in excitement.

"Okay, you guys take the limo home, I'll take my car," Anastasia told Edward, Seto, and the film crew. Anastasia made sure that her house was secure and locked up for the night. The film crew gave her the small camera she'd used in the jeep, and she set it up in her car.

"I'll ride with you," Seto offered. He'd gotten so used to always being at her side the last week, and it would be awkward with just him and the film crew in the limo.

"Alright sure," Anastasia agreed and gave him a kiss. Seto got in the front seat of her car while Stella got in the backseat and was panting and whining a bit. Anastasia followed the limo back home to the mansion, and held Stella's leash while she sniffed around the yard and peed and pooped. Seto returned the camera to the crew and helped Edward and the crew get Stella's things and bring them inside.

"Thank you for your help," Anastasia thanked them.

"You're welcome," the crew and Edward replied. Seto got a servant to clean up after Stella's mess, and then rejoined Anastasia outside with Stella. Stella was a bit anxious about this place, especially after missing her human mama for a week. She had no idea what was going on.

"This is our new home," Anastasia told her gently. Stella whined and leaned against her leg. "I know, it's going to take some getting used to," Anastasia assured her and pet her lovingly.

"It'll be okay," Seto told her and slowly brought his hand closer to pet Stella, which she let him do.

"Good girl! This is daddy!" Anastasia praised her, trying to get her more comfortable with Seto with positive reinforcement.

"Hello, Stella," Seto greeted her as he pet her. Stella was still a bit anxious, but she relaxed a bit as he pet her. "That's a good girl," Seto told her gently.

"Let's go have a look inside, shall we?" Anastasia told Stella and led her inside while Seto walked with them. Stella sniffed everything that she saw as they walked inside the house. "Is it okay to take her leash off and let her run and explore the mansion?" Anastasia asked Seto.

"Yes, go ahead," Seto consented. Anastasia unclipped Stella's leash and let her sniff and check everything out. As Stella explored, Anastasia and Seto walked hand in hand behind her, and Seto was giving a tour of the mansion to Anastasia. Anastasia paid careful attention to what Seto was telling her about the mansion. Stella kept looking back to make sure that Anastasia was behind her. Having her human mama close by while she explored made her feel more at ease.

"Hello there," Rosa greeted Stella as Stella came upon her and held her hand out for Stella to sniff. Stella sniffed her hand and wagged her tail a little. Rosa seemed friendly and like a good person. Stella then resumed exploring and then came upon Mokuba.

"Hi Stella!" Mokuba greeted.

"Let her sniff your hand," Anastasia instructed. Mokuba nodded and let Stella sniff his hand and she also wagged her tail as she seemed to approve of Mokuba. Mokuba chuckled and pet her, and Stella relaxed.

"Good girl," Anastasia praised her. Once Stella felt relaxed enough, she started doing zoomies throughout the mansion, earning chuckles from Anastasia, Seto, Mokuba, Rosa, and the rest of the staff. While she was doing zoomies, Anastasia and Seto brought her bed and toys to their room, setting up her bed and toys near their bed, while Rosa got her bowl and water dispenser set up in the kitchen, and put the food, treats, and medicine away. After doing zoomies all over the mansion, Stella went and lapped water like she had been in a desert and hadn't had water for days.

"Easy baby. Slow down. You'll get sick if you drink too fast," Anastasia reminded her. Stella would pause and look at her in understanding and would resume drinking.

"That's my girl," Anastasia praised her. Anastasia got a few treats and Stella perked up as she saw her human mama getting treats. Anastasia handed one to Seto, then to Rosa, Mokuba, Roland, Edward, and then brought one to Seto's and her room to put on her bed. Stella came up to each of them and ate the treats, and wagged her tail. Then, Anastasia and Seto took her to their room, and she ate the treat that was on her bed, and then she plopped on her bed, exhausted from exploring the mansion.

"Whatcha think? Do you like it here?" Anastasia asked, and got panting and tail thumping in response. She crouched down and Stella showed her belly, and Anastasia scratched her belly. "That's my girl," Anastasia told her as she loved on her, and then encouraged Seto to scratch her belly, which he did.

"That's a good girl," Seto praised her as he scratched her belly. Stella decided that she liked him. After petting her for a bit, Seto and Anastasia started to unpack their suitcases, and Seto gave her some space in his huge, walk-in closet for her clothes and shoes she had packed. Anastasia had put away the clothes and shoes, and her wedding dress and accessories in her part of the closet, while Seto put his clothes and shoes away in his part of the closet, and they unpacked their souvenirs and set them up. Seto took the coffees, teas, and snacks to the kitchen, and Anastasia put her hair dryer, toiletries, and makeup bag in the bathroom, by one of the sinks, and then sat down on the bed to wait for Seto. Seto came back to the room and smiled as he saw her on the bed. He went to the bed and sat with her and kissed her, which she eagerly responded to.

"I like seeing you in our bed," Seto told her. Anastasia smiled.

"I'm glad," Anastasia replied and nuzzled into him. The crew parted for the night and promised to be back in the morning. Seto and Anastasia both had their showers, and started getting ready for bed. Anastasia had her shower first. While Seto was in the bathroom, he had seen her beauty supplies and toiletries at the other sink, and inside her open toiletries bag, he noticed a couple of orange prescription bottles he hadn't noticed while in Hawaii. She must have had them hidden in her toiletries bag this entire time, and it had been closed anytime he was in the bathroom. Curious, he picked up the bottles to see what they were, and he was stunned to find antidepressants in one, and PTSD medication in the other.

"_She's depressed? And she has PTSD? I guess I shouldn't be surprised… she's handling things pretty well considering what she's been through," Seto thought. She was always so happy with him, and she even said so. He was glad that she had gotten help and was managing it without it being noticed. That was pretty courageous at least. He didn't want to bring it up lest she think he was snooping; he'd wait for her to bring it up and talk if she wanted to. _He put the bottles back in her toiletries bag and came out of the bathroom in his pajamas and saw her giving Stella some affection. He sat on the bed and joined her in giving Stella affection.

"Hey Dragon," Anastasia greeted him with a smile and a kiss.

"Hey sweetheart," Seto replied as he pulled her close. Anastasia rested her head on his shoulder and they got comfortable under the covers. Seto gazed into her crystal blue eyes and stroked her scarlet hair, and she nuzzled closer. There was a quiet peace as they lay together. It was nice to have her in his bed with him. His bed definitely felt less lonely. Soon, they fell asleep together. _Seto couldn't stop thinking about how she was taking PTSD and depression meds, and he dreamed that she had this sunny, cheerful mask on, but she dropped it, and he could see, a glum, pale, stone-like face, with her crystal blue eyes sunken in. With a blink, he saw the sunny, cheerful mask was replaced. He wanted to ask about it, but stopped himself. It was like he wasn't supposed to see it, but he had. For everyone else, the mask was practically welded on, and her aura was warm, kind, welcoming, like it normally was. _

_As far as Anastasia, she was dreaming that she was wandering in a dry desert with Stella and they were acclimated to it, but then she stumbled upon an oasis where she met Seto, Mokuba, Rosa, Edward, and Roland, and after she met them, the climate had become more favorable and comfortable, and it would rain every so often, leaving everything greener and healthier than she had seen in ages. Later, they had turned into a flock of birds, and had settled together in a large nest, and she and Stella were quite happy. Not only that, but Seto, Mokuba, Rosa, Edward, and Roland were also happy that she and Stella had joined their flock and the nest. She felt at peace, especially when Seto nestled against her. _

* * *

The next morning,

Anastasia had gotten herself and Seto up at 5:00 a.m. to start their workout training, like they had agreed upon. They weren't exactly on vacation anymore, and it was time to start building the habit, and getting back on track for Anastasia. Seto was tired, but remembered he had agreed to this, and he was not one to back out on a deal. They used the restroom and got changed into some comfortable yet warm clothes for working out, and Anastasia had pulled her scarlet hair back into a messy bun, and then let Stella out to do her business while she and Seto got situated in a particular spot. After Stella had finished with her business, she lay comfortably on the grass about 20 feet away watching her human mama and daddy. The film crew had arrived and started filming. Anastasia led the workout with some calisthenics to warm up with, and Seto did start to feel a bit more awake and invigorated. Then, Anastasia started to teach him slightly more advanced, yet still beginner-type moves from what she taught after their first night in Maui for about 15 minutes, and then did cool down exercises for about 15 minutes.

"How do you feel?" Anastasia asked Seto as they started walking inside with Stella walking at Anastasia's flank and the film crew following behind

"Actually, that wasn't so bad," Seto admitted.

"Well, that was easy stuff, yet still slightly more advanced than what I taught you on our first night in Maui. Things will get progressively challenging each day, but you will definitely be able to handle it. I won't make it too difficult, nor will I make it too easy," Anastasia promised.

"I'm prepared to do my best and work hard every time we do our training," Seto promised.

"Good," Anastasia replied with a smile. "You can go ahead and take your shower first."

"Alright, thank you," Seto nodded and went up to their room, got his clothes, and went to take a warm shower. Anastasia played a little with Stella and fed her.

"Oh, good morning Anastasia," Rosa greeted, slightly surprised to see her in the kitchen so early, but then she remembered that Anastasia had mentioned that she and Seto would be up at 5:00 a.m. training together.

"Good morning Rosa," Anastasia greeted with a smile.

"Did you two have a good workout?" Rosa asked.

"Yeah, it was a good beginner workout," Anastasia replied.

"Good, I'm glad. Are you hungry for anything in particular for breakfast?" Rosa asked.

"Some bacon and eggs, toast with the tropical jams and macadamia nut butters we brought home, and one of my tropical teas for me sounds really good, please," Anastasia requested politely.

"Certainly," Rosa nodded.

"Thank you, I look forward to it," Anastasia replied with a smile. Stella had finished her breakfast and Anastasia had given Stella her medicine chewies and a couple treats with canine CBD oil to help her with her joints. Anastasia gave her some affection and went up to their room while Stella happily followed, along with the film crew. The film crew got comfortable as they filmed in the bedroom. Seto was still in the bathroom. Anastasia got her outfit ready for today, which would be jeans and one of her t-shirts from Hawaii. She was still technically on vacation this week, but this week would be used for moving her things into the mansion and settling in. She took her steamer into another nearby bathroom and filled it with water and returned to the room to steam her clothes. While she was steaming her clothes, she turned on the news to see what was going on in Domino, Japan, and the rest of the world, and get the weather forecast for the day. Seto emerged from the bathroom in khakis and one of his polos from Pearl Harbor and his Sperry shoes. He was also still on vacation, and he had to help her get moved in and settled, as part of the agreement with the show.

"Hey Dragon, you look handsome," Anastasia greeted. Seto smiled.

"Thanks sweetheart. The shower's all yours. Anything interesting happening?" Seto asked as he gestured to the TV with the news playing. Anastasia told him a few of the most interesting stories she heard. Seto nodded in acknowledgment and then after she turned off the steamer, gathered her clothes, and started heading to the bathroom, Seto pulled her to him and kissed her. Anastasia smiled into the kiss and kissed back.

"So sweet," Anastasia whispered in his ear.

"Yes, you are," Seto agreed. Anastasia gave a little chuckle and then pulled away so she could go shower. Seto sat down on the couch in front of the TV to catch up on the news while she showered. Anastasia enjoyed her warm shower and then got dressed, put her heat protection serum in her hair, and blow dried it. She then put her scarlet hair up in a messy bun, cleansed and moisturized her face, and opened the door. She then remembered to take her medication, and realized she had left the toiletries bag open where her pill bottles could be seen. She wondered if Seto had seen them. He wasn't acting any different, and he hadn't said anything, so maybe he didn't notice, but then again, maybe he had.

"_I'm sure he noticed, but isn't sure how to bring them up. Maybe he's waiting for you to bring it up if you want to? Maybe he didn't want to seem like he was snooping?" Anastasia's inner self pointed out. _

"_Those are some good points," Anastasia conceded. Her inner self nodded. _

"_You should probably talk to him about it," her inner self suggested. "There may be times where you do have an episode in front of him and/or Mokuba, and they will need to know what to do."_

"_That's true," Anastasia agreed. "Maybe I'll talk to them later tonight about it, once I'm moved in."_

Seto had heard the door open, and saw that she was lost in thought about something as she was holding her pill bottles. The film crew focused on what she was doing with the pill bottles.

"Anastasia? Are you okay?" Seto asked. Anastasia hadn't heard him as she was getting the pills from the bottles and then took them. She closed the bottles and put them on the counter. Seto had gotten up to see if she was okay and stood at the doorway of the bathroom with a couple members of the film crew.

"Anastasia? Are you okay?" Seto repeated. Anastasia turned to face him and accidentally knocked the bottles to the floor, and thankfully, they stayed closed.

"Dammit…" Anastasia cursed under her breath as she bent down to pick up the bottles that rolled to his feet. Seto also crouched down to help her pick up the bottles, and their eyes met for an awkward moment. They got the bottles and stood up. Seto handed her the bottles and she returned them to her toiletries bag.

"Are you okay?" Seto repeated.

"Yeah, just a little embarrassed you saw my medication," Anastasia admitted, and couldn't look him in the eyes.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Seto offered as he took her hand gently.

"Alright," Anastasia agreed and took his hand. Seto led her to sit on the edge of their bed, turned the TV off, and sat with her and pulled her closer. The film crew gave them a berth of space as they filmed their conversation.

"Why are you embarrassed by your medication?" Seto asked gently.

"They make me seem weak, and dependent on drugs to function," Anastasia admitted. Seto was surprised that she shared his views on being afraid to be seen as weak.

"Well, if they help you, that's fine. It's good that you are getting help to manage. That is actually pretty strong and brave, and you seem like you are doing well," Seto replied, hoping to encourage her. He understood the necessity of her medication. He had heard so much about how soldiers commit suicide because of the weight of their depression and PTSD, yet here she still stood, with him.

"It took a long while to get to this point where I am currently," Anastasia told him. "It took years of experimentation and hell to get the right combination."

"I can imagine it must have been really hard," Seto replied. Anastasia looked at him.

"You have no idea. It's from everything I've done with my service, and the trauma my ex put me through. It used to be REALLY bad. I do have some episodes every now and then, but not nearly as bad as before. I have nightmares from my traumatic memories, and sometimes I shut down at random times, or have panic attacks. Sometimes it's minor, sometimes it's severe. The good news is that it doesn't happen too often anymore. They never happen when I am pumped on adrenaline, but usually when I am alone and safe. Sometimes I am triggered by loud noises, or being in confined spaces, and I used to be REALLY triggered by seeing couples, pregnant women, happy families, children, parks, funerals, the particular drink my ex had poisoned. Even seeing it in TV and movies triggered me, to the point I would get severely sick and upset and I couldn't watch that show or movie. I got help after a BAD episode landed me in the hospital, to the point that I didn't care if I died, and I started seeing a therapist while in the hospital to help me manage. I go for checkups every few months. Stella does help a lot too," Anastasia explained. Stella heard her name and she came over and rested her head on Anastasia's lap. Anastasia and Seto pet her.

"Good girl," Anastasia and Seto praised her, earning a tail wag. Seto was speechless, and all he could do was hold her tight in his arms for a bit. Anastasia held him tight in return. She loved how he was holding her so tight. She loved how concerned he was for her, and how he listened.

"I'll do what I can to help you," Seto promised. Anastasia smiled.

"I appreciate that," Anastasia replied and kissed him. Seto kissed back, and then kissed her head. "We should go downstairs. I'm sure Rosa has breakfast ready," Anastasia suggested.

"Alright," Seto agreed and let her go, only to hold her hand as they walked down the stairs together to eat breakfast, with Stella and the film crew following.

They greeted Rosa and Mokuba, and Rosa served them the bacon, eggs, toast with the macadamia nut butter and some tropical jelly, and the Hawaiian coffee and tea. They thanked Rosa and enjoyed breakfast together. Mokuba was enjoying the toast with the macadamia nut butter and tropical jelly, and the Hawaiian coffee. It was so decadently delicious. After breakfast, Rosa took the dishes, and was cleaning up, while Seto and Mokuba rounded up some staff to help with the move. They all got in the limo with the film crew. Edward dropped off a couple staff members at a moving truck rental place, and picked up some moving boxes before taking them to Anastasia's house. The two staff members pulled up in her driveway with the moving truck shortly after they had arrived. Seto and Anastasia had divvied up the duties of packing particular rooms in the house to the staff members, while she, Seto, and Mokuba would be packing up her room. The film crew also divided the duties amongst themselves to film them packing her things and loading the moving truck. Seto and Mokuba were fascinated by some of her things, particularly her weapons collection.

"That is an impressive collection of weapons," Mokuba remarked.

"Thank you. They're from my service days. I also keep them around, just in case I need them." Anastasia replied with a smile as she carefully packed each gun and weapon into a special, padded trunk, along with her ammunition.

"What do you need them for?" Mokuba asked.

"Protection. It can be kind of scary for a woman living alone, especially one that has been involved with deadly combat," Anastasia explained.

"You don't need to worry about protection, Seto and I have a top-notch security team that keeps us safe," Mokuba assured her.

"With all due respect, I feel better having them around. I do have permits, and Seto did agree to give me a space just for them, so long as they are secured," Anastasia countered gently.

"Fair enough," Mokuba agreed.

"And perhaps tomorrow we'll get the bio-locks installed to secure your weapons," Seto piped up.

"Sure. I also would like to ask if you have a bunker or safe room to escape to if there's trouble, and I want a rundown of some of your security procedures," Anastasia inquired.

"Of course, we have a safe room, but we don't have much use for it," Seto told her.

"I'd like to see it," Anastasia requested.

"Alright, we'll show you once we get you settled and moved in at the mansion," Seto promised, and then told her about their security procedures for keeping the mansion secure, which she wasn't thrilled with.

"That's it?" Anastasia remarked, slightly unimpressed.

"What?" Seto asked. He figured she would be assuaged, but was obviously wrong.

"That's so…minimal and less than what I was expecting," Anastasia admitted.

"Ok, what are you expecting?" Seto countered with his arms crossed across his chest, feeling slightly miffed.

"For you, I figured you'd have a motion detection system that differentiates between animal and human intruders, and sends an alert to the police and alerts those in the mansion to seek shelter in a safe room/bunker, security cameras that record video and audio, and things to fight the human intruders," Anastasia explained. "All the stuff you have right now sounds like something that would work for my house though."

"We'll be fine. We've fought off worse," Seto stubbornly retorted.

"Yeah, we fought off a hostile takeover. Seto jumped out of a window with a room full of armed security guards pointing guns at him. I've been kidnapped multiple times. We've had multiple assassination attempts, times where our souls were trapped, and ancient voodoo stuff," Mokuba chimed in.

"Wow, that's a lot, and sounds like a strong case for upgrading your security system. I'd rather us be ahead of all that, and be able to fight them off," Anastasia protested.

"We'll be fine," Seto insisted.

"I'd rather us be safe than sorry," Anastasia insisted, with a hint of a sharp edge in her tone. "We'll see what the room looks like, and I'd like to do drills on getting to the safe room/bunker as quick as we can. Every second counts and could mean the difference between life and death, and I am NOT apt to let either of you be hurt or killed."

"Alright, but I still think you're worrying too much," Seto retorted. Anastasia glared, almost letting her demon show.

"Don't EVER tell that to me. Don't EVER disrespect or discount my instincts for safety. Preparation is KEY," Anastasia shot back with an intimidating calmness and glared into his sapphire eyes. Seto was a little caught off guard by her intensity, and Mokuba was nervous.

"_Idiot, now you made her angry," Seto's inner self scolded him. _

"Ok, ok, I'm sorry," Seto apologized quickly, feeling a bitter taste of concession in his mouth.

"Apology accepted," Anastasia nodded, kissed his cheek, and resumed packing. Seto sighed. Normally, he wouldn't be apt to let anyone command things, but she was different. She could be a lot more intimidating than he could; she was obviously concerned with safety for them, especially since she had danced with death more often than he ever would, even with all the things that had happened to them over the years; and he didn't want to give her any reason to leave. As the adage went, "Happy spouse, happy house."

"_Wow," his inner self remarked. _

"_What?" Seto asked. _

"_That you admit all that," Seto's inner self pointed out. _

"_Shut up," Seto grumbled and resumed helping her pack._ He was curious about some of her documents and photo albums. They all had different names from her current name.

"Who is Lydia Reina Coronado?" Seto asked.

"Me. That's a name from another time, before my service," Anastasia answered, and her crystal blue eyes went distant, and she shook her head to bring her back to the present.

"Are you okay?" Mokuba asked as he saw her go distant for a brief moment.

"Just some haunting memories that tried to surface," Anastasia replied with a brief smile.

"Do you want to talk about them?" Seto offered gently. Anastasia shook her head.

"It's the past; it doesn't matter anymore," Anastasia replied. "Let's just keep packing."

"Okay," Seto and Mokuba agreed. Within a few hours, her home was entirely packed up into boxes and moved onto the truck.

"Thank you for your help. It would have taken a lot longer if I had to pack it all myself," Anastasia thanked everyone.

"You're welcome," the staff, camera crew, Seto and Mokuba replied. They filed back into the limo, save for the two staff members who were driving the truck, and they went back to the mansion and moved her things into Seto's and her room, while Stella watched from her bed on the floor. Once all her things were brought to the room, Anastasia, Seto, Mokuba, and the film crew got back in the limo, and they met up with the staff members at the truck rental place to give them a ride home. Once the two staff members returned the truck, Anastasia asked Edward if they could make a quick stop to pick up some treats to thank everyone who helped.

"Certainly, Anastasia," Edward assured her with a warm smile and they stopped to get a few large tubs of ice cream, paper bowls, spoons, and toppings to have a sundae bar. When they got home, they immediately set up the sundae bar in the kitchen, and Anastasia served the ice cream, and the staff, film crew, Seto, and Mokuba got their own toppings. When everyone had been served, Seto and Mokuba waited for her to make her bowl, and they enjoyed their sundaes together while Stella lay at their feet under the table.

"Thank you, Anastasia," they all told her.

"No, this is to thank you all for your help," Anastasia told them. They smiled. It was so nice to be appreciated. After their ice cream break, they went upstairs and helped her get unpacked. By dinnertime, she was set up and officially moved in, and they went downstairs. Anastasia fed Stella her dinner, they enjoyed the dinner Rosa had made, and of course they thanked her for a delicious dinner.

* * *

After dinner,

Seto and Mokuba had the film crew stay behind while they took Anastasia and Stella on a tour of their secret network of hallways and staircases. There were secret doors in every room that led down to short hallways and staircases that fed into a main hallway that led to a main hallway on each floor, and then there was a connecting staircase to each floor. In the basement was the safe room.

"Here's the safe room," Seto showed her and opened the door.

"This is it?" Anastasia remarked aghast at the unfinished safe room.

"Yes," Seto replied.

"Why is it unfinished?" Anastasia asked.

"We've been busy, and we haven't had much need for it," Seto replied.

"Okay, you definitely need to finish it, especially if we're going to be doing drills to get here quickly," Anastasia commanded.

"We don't really have a need for it," Seto protested.

"Yes, you do," Anastasia shot back. "And once this room is finished, we'll be doing daily drills at a certain time, then random times, then we'll move on to once a month," Anastasia declared. Seto gritted his teeth.

"We'll finish this room, for you, but we do the drills once a week, and then once we got it down, once a month," Seto counter-offered.

"Deal," Anastasia agreed and shook his hand.

"Good," Seto agreed and then looked at the room to determine what it needed.

"Okay, my bossy dragon queen," Seto began. Anastasia raised an eyebrow.

"I like to think of it as being an assertive leader," Anastasia countered with a smirk.

"It was meant to be teasing and affectionate," Seto replied.

"Good," Anastasia replied with an approving nod. "Dragon queen works just fine." Anastasia told him.

"Ok, my dragon queen. What kind of safety features do you think would be good in here?" Seto asked.

"Well, I think security cameras that link to a wall of monitors that shows what's going on in each hallway and room, and the doors for the safe room definitely need a strong lock, the walls need to be reinforced to prevent collapse, and a control panel to control locks, doors, lights, a p.a., etc. would be a good start."

"Ooh, how about holograms and drones to distract any intruders?" Mokuba suggested.

"I like that, and especially if the drones could fire shots at the intruders as well," Anastasia added. Seto was listening intently and nodding and taking notes. They sounded like reasonable suggestions.

"I suppose I can add that," Seto conceded.

"Cool!" Mokuba exclaimed.

"Yeah, great!" Anastasia agreed happily.

"Good, now let's go upstairs and go relax," Seto commanded and they went upstairs and took the stairwell marked "Rec Room", and then went through the short hallway and through the secret door to their recreation room.

"This is still so cool," Anastasia remarked. Seto beamed with pride that she liked the secret doors, and the hidden network of stairs and hallways. Mokuba then went to get the crew so they could resume filming in the recreation room. Stella plopped on the floor beside them, quite exhausted from all the stair climbing the stairs in the secret hallway network.

To relax and wind down, Seto and Mokuba decided to work on dueling practice with Anastasia, and of course, she was just as focused and determined as she was on their honeymoon after their adventure on the Road to Hana, when he first started teaching her, and she was getting better and better with the practice rounds. Seto was extremely impressed with her progress and her calm, cool collected nature. She even learned how to keep a straight poker face while dueling, which made it tough for him to determine what she was thinking; she was quite calculating and strategic, and she only smiled just a little after she made good plays, and when she played the dragons he slipped into her deck to make her think of him. Seto felt his heart flutter a little when she smiled after playing the dragons on the field. It looked like she really was happy to have his dragons protecting her, and it showed that she was thinking of him. She was also having fun, and even started to trade jibing barbs at Seto, while keeping her poker face. Seto was happy and proud, even though he realized he may have created a monster by teaching her how to duel. As long as she kept this up, she would be hard to beat. Mokuba was quite impressed with her progress too.

After a while, they stopped dueling and went to rest and relax in their rooms. The crew had left for the night, and Seto and Anastasia had taken Stella to their room, taken their evening showers, and gotten changed into their pajamas and nightgown respectively. Stella happily lay on her bed on the floor, and Anastasia and Seto eagerly settled into their bed, locked into a warm, loving embrace. Seto ran his fingers through her scarlet hair and along her back as he gazed into her crystal eyes. It was official, his wife was fully moved in, and they were happy.

"I hope you're happy here," Seto whispered to her.

"Of course I am," Anastasia assured him with a gentle kiss. Seto smiled.

"Good. Mokuba, Rosa, and I will definitely help you properly adjust to living here with us," Seto vowed.

"I should hope so," Anastasia teased. Seto chuckled a little and kissed her, and they soon dozed off into sleep.

* * *

Over the week, Anastasia and Seto started adjusting to her and Stella being at home with them, and having the crew follow them everywhere. Seto got the bio-locks installed to secure her weapons in the now adjoining room beside theirs that worked to scan her retinas and her fingerprints, and immediately had construction started on the safe room with the things Anastasia and Mokuba had suggested. They also had opened the wedding gifts. Anastasia had written down who gave what gift, and she and Seto spent some time working on thank you cards, and then mailed them. Anastasia was also teaching Seto more moves during their training, and making it progressively challenging for him. Eventually, Mokuba joined in, and she started teaching him too. Seto and Mokuba also worked with her on her dueling practice, and she was getting sharper and sharper. Seto and Anastasia also resumed their Gomez and Morticia-like affection they had during their honeymoon, and it tickled Mokuba pink that they were so affectionate with each other. Seto was starting to go crazy from missing work, but this was for her; he promised that they would get her fully settled in. He was also starting to go crazy with lust again like he had been on the honeymoon. He was so thankful for the vaginal simulator toy she had gotten him, and her patience. He could hang on for another week, right? He hoped so, oh God how he hoped so…

* * *

That Friday night, it was their first date night, as he and Anastasia had agreed upon. They dressed pretty casually, and went for a quick, fairly early dinner at a casual restaurant, to which people were surprised to see them, especially him, since he never frequented casual dining establishments. They also noticed the film crew following them, and gossiped quietly among themselves. Seto and Anastasia were hyper-aware of the attention they were getting but ignored it. This was no different than their honeymoon, sans the stupid gangs that were harassing them. They were enjoying their meal and giving little bits of PDA, but nothing obnoxious. They were just like any other couple there for a date…with the exception of a film crew filming their every move.

Just then, there were a few young ladies that stormed up to their table thoroughly pissed off, and wearing shirts and merchandise that had Seto's image plastered all over them. Seto's mood INSTANTLY darkened and he clenched his hand into a trembling fist. The film crew was surprised by the fangirls coming up to them, and was extremely interested in what was about to happen.

"You bitch! How dare you take our sweet, Seto Kaiba away from us! Who do you think you are?!" Everyone instantly stopped to see what was going on. Now it was Anastasia's turn to turn dark. The film crew knew things were about to get ugly now, knowing how Anastasia was with the gangs in Hawaii. She fixed her deadly, sharp, crystal blue eyes on the young ladies and stood up, her presence intimidating everyone around them. The leader of the group slapped her and grabbed Anastasia's drink and threw it at her. There were audible gasps from everyone around them, including the film crew. Anastasia was now soaked with her iced tea, and she and Seto were BEYOND LIVID.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU STUPID, BIMBO FANGIRLS?!" Seto snarled at them as he got up. The fangirls were stunned that he actually yelled at them like that.

"HOW DARE YOU DISRESPECT ME AND MY HUSBAND ON OUR DATE?! YOU HAVE ABSOLUTELY ZERO CLAIM OVER HIM! HE WAS NEVER YOURS TO BEGIN WITH!" Anastasia snarled with a demonic timbre in her voice.

"EXACTLY!" Seto enthusiastically concurred. "For fucks sake, where the hell did any of you fangirls get that idea that I would be interested in any of you? You're only interested in me for my money, power, and clout. If I had nothing, you wouldn't even care about who I was. At least my wife loves me for who I am, and I love her," Seto retorted. His words were like knives in their hearts; however, for Anastasia, she felt her heart flutter wildly when he said that, especially so publicly.

"The truth hurts, doesn't it?" Anastasia taunted with a cool, icy voice, and cold smirk, one that was just like Seto's, which he noticed and mirrored.

"You're only with him because of the show! Anyone of us could have filled your shoes! You only had a stroke of luck; he didn't pick you! You're not special! If we had known he was on the show, we definitely would have signed up!" the leader tried to stupidly argue.

"That sounds like a you problem that you didn't know he was going to be on the show. Sounds like you don't even know 'your precious Seto Kaiba' like you think you do. Frankly, it's none of your fucking business. And yes, I am incredibly lucky and blessed that he is my husband. As for you filling my shoes, I sincerely doubt that. The 'experts' wouldn't have matched ANY of you with him because you're obviously NOT stable enough for marriage, especially if you go and randomly attack women in his presence like you just did to me. They do background checks too," Anastasia shot back icily. The leader cackled.

"Hahaha! You think this show is real and that those 'experts' know anything? It's TV! They only want ratings," the leader shot back.

"They know a LOT more than some airheaded bimbo like you would know. Now leave before things get REALLY nasty!" Anastasia warned.

"Who do you think you are threatening me? You're nothing but some psycho bitch! Look, my sweet Seto, she's bad news, you wouldn't fall for someone so psychotic and horrendous, would you? Can't you see she's brainwashed you and put you under her spell? She's only using you. Women only go on that show because they're desperate, and seeking fame, and you also brought fortune. She's going to bleed you dry of your money," the leader warned, trying to make Anastasia look bad with a tone of nauseating saccharine sweetness. Seto was even more infuriated.

"YOUR sweet Seto? Are you fucking serious right now? Did you not hear me earlier? Do you need hearing aids? I. Will. Never. Be. Interested. In. Any. Of. You. Stupid. Fangirls," Seto reiterated slowly.

"She doesn't deserve you!" the leader insisted.

"And you do? Why? What makes you so special over my wife? You're not special. You're just another deluded fangirl who thinks she has a claim over me because 'you love me'. Frankly, I don't care," Seto retorted.

"She could never love you like I do!" the leader stupidly pushed on. Seto exclaimed exasperated.

"You're right, she won't ever love me as a worshipper like you do; she's better as my equal. Frankly, I don't even want worshippers, only customers who buy my dueldisks and technology, and participate in my tournaments. You don't understand our circumstances, and it's none of your fucking business either," Seto shot back coolly.

"Ok, what's it going to take for you to get it through that dense skull of yours? He has explicitly told you numerous times he will NEVER be interested in you or your fellow fangirls. Now leave. All you're doing is just pissing us both off more and more, and if you don't leave by choice, I'll make you leave, and trust me, you DON'T want that; things tend to get a little…messy when I have to do that," Anastasia warned with her reverberating demonic timbre, and the demonic gleam in her eyes.

"Fine, Whatever. When you slip up, I will be there waiting. Mark my words. I will prove myself better than you as a lover, and his equal. You'll see, you'll both see!" the leader vowed. Anastasia laughed darkly.

"God, you are so stupid, it's embarrassing!" Anastasia insulted her. "If you come anywhere near me, my husband, or brother-in-law Mokuba, I won't be as nice as I was here. You've been warned!"

"Yes! Stay the hell away, and tell the other fangirls they don't have a chance in hell with me either," Seto commanded. The leader realized that she was essentially defeated, but she refused to show it. She left with her fangirl cronies, and Seto and Anastasia sat down to cool down for a moment. The film crew was awestruck by what they just witnessed. Their dinner date was ruined. They asked for to-go boxes and Seto picked up the check. Anastasia quickly apologized for the mess and the commotion to their server and the manager, and everyone else, and they left the restaurant with the film crew following. Seto put his jacket over her and carried the to-go boxes of their leftover food as they went to the limo.

"I'm so sorry they did that," Seto apologized to her.

"It's not your fault," Anastasia tried to reassure him.

"Their obsession of me caused them to attack you," Seto protested and held her close.

"THEY attacked me because of their obsessive, possessive, delusions. You made it pretty clear back there that you weren't ever interested, so it's all on them, really," Anastasia pointed out.

"You're right," Seto conceded, once again feeling the bitter taste in his mouth admitting she was right. His expression as he tasted the bitter words made Anastasia giggle.

"You don't like admitting others are right, do you?" Anastasia pointed out.

"Not really… it tastes…bitter to me," Seto admitted.

"Well, other people can be right too," Anastasia pointed out.

"Yeah, I suppose," Seto conceded. "Do you still want to go to the painting class?"

"Yeah, I still want to," Anastasia admitted.

"Alright, let's go to a shop and get you some fresh clothes. We aren't going to have time to go home to change," Seto suggested. Anastasia smirked as a naughty, tempting idea crossed her mind, and the impish glimmer shone in her crystal blue eyes. "What's that look?" Seto asked as he noticed. Anastasia pulled him closer, to where she could whisper in his ear.

"You could watch me change in the dressing room if you want," she whispered in his ear. Seto's sapphire eyes widened a little, and he blushed slightly, and then smirked.

"Alright, sounds like a plan, Cara Mia," Seto replied, and Anastasia giggled again. They got in the limo with the film crew and stopped at a department store. Anastasia quickly scanned the merchandise to see what caught her eye and what she wouldn't mind accidentally getting paint on. She grabbed some jeans, and two sapphire blue tees with a ruched, sweetheart neckline, and lace on the neckline and the hem of the sleeves. (She got one for the class, and an extra just because she really liked how it looked and wanted a clean one just in case she accidentally got paint on the one she wore to class.) She also went to the lingerie department and looked for a bra her size. Seto was imagining her in various lingerie garments. Anastasia took Seto's hand and led him to the dressing room with the film crew following, up to a point. Anastasia found an empty dressing room and she and Seto locked themselves in the dressing room. Seto sat down on the seat in the dressing room and Anastasia hung up her purse, and removed her shoes. Seto was excited and was already feeling his pants tighten around his growing erection. Anastasia smirked at him.

* * *

**This section gets a little NSFW. IT IS *NOT* A LEMON. You may skip this section if you would like. You are not missing much.**

"Would you like to help me undress?" she whispered in his ear. Seto nodded with an enthusiastic smirk. Anastasia straddled his lap, making him stifle a groan, and he lifted her soaked shirt over her lean, soft, creamy, damp torso and off her head. Seto admired her torso yet again, like he had when she was wearing her bikini on the beach. He felt so hard right now. She smirked at him and turned around on his lap, feeling his erection pressing against her butt. She moved her damp, scarlet hair away from her back and neck so he could see the bra hooks on the damp bra she was wearing.

"Go ahead, unhook it," Anastasia invited. Seto then unhooked her bra and she let it fall forward, freeing her soft, full breasts. Seto could see them in the mirror, and he stifled another groan. He wanted her so bad right now. Not yet… he had to wait… he had to stifle this… why was she doing this to him? Why was she teasing him?

"_Oh, you know you wanted to see her," Seto's inner self retorted. _

"_But why does she have to tempt me?" Seto complained. _

"_I don't know, but I suppose she likes seeing how turned on you are for her, and she's indicating that you turn her on too. She also knows that you want to see her body too, and she's rewarding you by letting her see her body, and maybe she'll even let you touch her body too," his inner self figured. "In the meantime, enjoy what she's showing you." Seto nodded internally._ Anastasia then got off his lap and stood and faced him, and he got to admire her soft, full breasts in front of him. She grabbed his hands and brought them to her jeans and had him unbutton them and unzip them, and then pull them down her lean, muscular legs, so she was standing in front of him in only her panties. He could never get over how beautiful her body was. He had to hang on and be strong.

**You may resume your regular reading here.**

* * *

While he was trying to calm himself, Anastasia started getting dressed in the clothes she had picked. Seto realized that she had gotten dressed and he admired her in the new clothes. The sapphire blue looked really good on her. She took off the new clothes, which further excited him once again, and put her damp clothes and her shoes back on, temporarily. She got her purse and the clothes and extra shirt, and held his hand as she led him to the register to pay for the new clothes and get the security tags taken off. She knew that he was likely still pretty hard, so she was in front of him, covering his erection to save him some embarrassment, which he appreciated. She was about to get her wallet from her purse and pay for the clothes, but Seto was faster and paid for the clothes.

"Thank you, my dragon," Anastasia thanked him.

"You're welcome, my dragon queen," Seto replied. Anastasia grabbed the bag while Seto took the receipt, and she went back to the dressing room to change, now that her clothes had been paid for, and the security tags removed, while Seto waited with the film crew, covering his erection and trying to think about other things to make it go down before they went to the painting class. He couldn't relieve himself. Anastasia took 10 minutes to change into her new clothes, and carried her damp clothes and extra shirt in the bag before rejoining him and the film crew. She walked in front of him once again, covering his erection to lessen his embarrassment, as they walked to the limo. Once inside the limo, Seto crossed his legs and held onto the bag and was breathing deeply to calm himself. It was helping him, and he felt much better. Though, he would have felt a lot better if he had time to relieve himself before the class. Anastasia squeezed his hand and leaned on his shoulder as the limo drove them to the painting class. Once they got there, they thanked Edward as usual, and filed into the classroom with their leftovers, where blank canvases on easels, paint palettes, brushes, and water cups were set up on both sides of 2 long tables, and one solitary table at the front of the classroom. Seto and Anastasia claimed their spots next to each other near the front, while the film crew sat on extra stools out of the way, but close enough to film them. They got their aprons and put them on, and sat on their stools and waited. The finished painting on an easel near the easel with the blank canvas at the front of the class indicated they were going to paint a mountain and lake with a bright sky full of stars, reflected in the lake.

"That looks like a challenge," Seto told Anastasia.

"Yes, it does, but they'll teach us how to do it, step-by-step. It's not going to be that hard," Anastasia promised reassuringly. Seto nodded placated. "I have an idea," Anastasia told him.

"What is it?" Seto asked curiously.

"We could make it a big painting. You could do one half, I could do the other," Anastasia suggested.

"That does sound like an interesting idea. Which half?" Seto asked.

"One of us could do the mountain and the sky, the other could do the reflection in the lake," Anastasia suggested.

"Which half do you want to do from those?" Seto asked. Anastasia thought about it.

"Which half looks easier for you?" Anastasia inquired. Seto looked at the painting.

"Maybe the lake," Seto decided.

"Alright, then I will do the mountain and sky part," Anastasia agreed. Some other students petered in, claimed their spots, and the instructor came in. Anastasia went to the instructor to tell her about what they had planned, and the instructor agreed to let them do their idea. Once everyone was set up and ready to go, the instructor started the lesson. Seto and Anastasia paid close attention to the lesson and were painting their parts. To make sure they were perfectly reflected, Anastasia put her canvas directly above his, and he would paint the reflection, and they continued to follow the lesson. Seto had to admit he was actually having fun. During a break while they let some of their paint dry for a few minutes, they and the rest of the class had snacked on the foods and drinks they brought. When they had finished their paintings, they took a picture of their paintings together, and then started heading back to the limo carrying their paintings, with the film crew in tow.

"That was actually kind of fun," Seto admitted.

"Now you see why I like art," Anastasia replied with a chuckle.

"Yeah," Seto admitted.

"Where should we hang our paintings?" Anastasia asked.

"We could hang them in our room, by our bed. We could get a big frame to house both of them together," Seto replied.

"I like that," Anastasia concurred with a smile as she gave him a peck on the lips.

Soon, they came home and thanked Edward as usual before going inside with their paintings and her bag of clothes. Mokuba came bounding over to them.

"Hey bro! Hey Anastasia! How was your date night?" Mokuba asked, and saw the bag and their paintings.

"Well it was nice, except for some bimbo fangirls that interrupted our dinner," Seto told Mokuba.

"Oh no. What did they do?" Mokuba asked worriedly. It was never good when fangirls showed up. Anastasia gave him the brief rundown of what happened.

"Oh no, I'm so sorry they did that to you," Mokuba apologized to his sister-in-law and hugged her.

"Thank you," Anastasia replied as she hugged him. "After that, we got leftover boxes, Seto paid for the meal, I apologized to the staff, and we left the restaurant. Seto put his jacket over me and apologized for them, then we went to a department store because I couldn't go to the class all soaked from my tea. So, I got a new outfit, and then we went to the class," Anastasia finished.

"Well, I'm glad you at least had a good time otherwise," Mokuba replied.

"Thanks," Anastasia replied with a smile. "What did you do while we were out?"

"Not much, just played some video games mostly," Mokuba answered nonchalantly.

"Sounds fun. Don't forget we have a family day tomorrow, so it's going to be you, me, and Seto hanging out," Anastasia reminded him.

"Yay!" Mokuba cheered happily. Seto and Anastasia chuckled at his excitement. It was so adorable.

"What would you like to do?" Anastasia inquired.

"Well there's a carnival happening downtown, maybe we can go check it out," Mokuba suggested.

"That sounds fun," Anastasia consented.

"Sure," Seto chimed in nonchalantly.

"Cool!" Mokuba exclaimed excitedly. "Well, I'll leave you two be to relax," Mokuba told them. "Good night!"

"Good night Mokuba," Seto and Anastasia bade as they went to their room and Mokuba went to his, and the film crew had left for the night. Once inside, Seto locked the door.

"What are you up to?" Anastasia asked curiously.

"I was wondering if you'd be up for giving me a massage?" Seto requested. Anastasia smiled.

"Sure, my dragon," Anastasia consented and got the heating pad ready, and sat on the bed. Seto immediately removed his shirt, socks, and shoes and smirked as he saw her ogling his body. Seto lay on his stomach on the bed and she immediately straddled his butt, which made him moan. She put the heating pad on his neck and shoulders and then let the heat relax him. Seto closed his eyes in relaxation. After a few minutes, Anastasia removed the heating pad, and started to knead his muscles from his neck to his shoulders, and down his back. Seto moaned in pleasure as she was working the knots in his muscles, and gingerly caressing down his back. Anastasia smiled happily knowing he was enjoying it, and could feel him turn into putty under her hands. He could feel himself starting to get another erection, especially as she got closer to his butt, and from remembering how glorious her body looked earlier. Once she finished the small of his back, she went to his feet and started to massage his feet, making him moan more.

"Oh Anastasia," Seto moaned and was feeling his erection even stronger now.

"Yes Seto?" Anastasia replied huskily.

"You make me feel so good," Seto mumbled.

"I should hope so," Anastasia teased. Seto let out what was a cross between a chuckle and a moan.

"I'll be right back," Seto told her as he got up and rushed to the bathroom to relieve himself with the toy. Anastasia lay back in bed and did some reading while she waited for him to be done.

A few minutes later, Seto was finished and had cleaned himself up with a washcloth.

"Your turn," Seto whispered in her ear. Anastasia smiled and put her book down.

"I want you to be in just your underwear," Seto requested blushing. Anastasia giggled at his blush and kissed him.

* * *

**This section gets a little NSFW. IT IS *NOT* A LEMON. You may skip this section if you would like. You are not missing much.**

"As you wish," she consented and removed her shirt, bra, her jeans, and her socks so she was in just her panties, as he asked. Seto admired her body from head to toe once again, from her scarred yet beautiful face, down her neck, shoulders, her soft, creamy breasts, her muscular arms, her lean, athletic torso, her hips, and down her strong, lean legs, and her smooth feet. He could instantly feel himself get another erection and hoped he could get through this.

"L-lie face down…p-please," he stammered.

"Yes, my dragon," Anastasia replied and lay face down on their bed. Her wavy, scarlet hair cascaded around her shoulders. Seto straddled her butt, and she could feel his hard erection press into her butt through her panties. Seto put the heating pad on her neck and shoulders, copying what she had done, and she sighed and moaned as she relaxed. Seto took a few deep breaths to steel himself for the massage. He could do this. After a few minutes, he started to knead her muscles just like she had done for him, and based on how she had told him during their honeymoon, and they both moaned in pleasure. He could feel her also melting under his hands as he massaged her from her neck, down her shoulders, and along her back. The longer he massaged her, the harder he got. He took a moment to pause and regroup his bearings before he gently caressed her legs and down to her feet. As he massaged her feet, she started to moan more, which made him harder.

"_You can tell her you want to," his inner self encouraged him. _

"_Next…week…" Seto insisted. His inner self growled in exasperation._ When Seto finished with her feet, he excused himself to go relieve himself in the bathroom.

**You may resume your regular reading here.**

* * *

_His inner self was shaking his head irritably. _

"_Next week, I swear," Seto told him. _

"_Whatever," his inner self retorted. _

"_Why won't he just tell you he's ready yet?! It's fucking obvious he wants to! What the hell is he waiting for?!" Anastasia's inner self asked irritably. _

"_Because he isn't ready, and I'm not sure what he's waiting for," Anastasia replied. Her inner self scowled and growled. "I know, I know," she replied and was also feeling slightly irritated, but she took a breath to calm herself._ She made a promise to him. She grabbed a nightgown and some fresh panties and waited for him to come out.

A few minutes later, Seto came out in his robe after relieving himself and taking a shower to clean up and cool off.

"All yours, my dragon queen," Seto replied and kissed her.

"Thanks, dragon," Anastasia replied with just a hint of irritation, which he picked up on. Anastasia then shut the bathroom door, and got ready for her shower, in which she relieved herself.

"_She's irritated with me," Seto thought. _

"_No shit, Sherlock," his inner self shot back crabbily. "She's turned on too, and she wants you, but she is sticking to her promise to wait, for you." _

"_What do I do?" Seto asked as he hung his head. _

"_You already know the answer to that," his inner self retorted. Seto sighed._ This was going to be a long week. He hoped work would distract him a bit this coming week, as well as their family outing tomorrow.

After Anastasia had finished relieving herself and cleaning up in the shower, she felt better and less irritable. She got dressed and combed her hair and came out with a towel for her pillow. She put the towel on her pillow and lay on her side of the bed. Immediately Seto, who was now dressed in his pajamas, pulled her close into a cuddle and kissed her.

"Next Friday, for my birthday," Seto whispered in her ear.

"What?" Anastasia asked to understand what he meant.

"Let's make love next Friday, for my birthday. I…can tell you're a little frustrated…I'll be ready for my birthday next Friday, I promise," Seto explained. Anastasia gazed into his sapphire eyes, and saw how sincere he was.

"Alright," Anastasia agreed. "Next Friday it is. Are you sure?"

"Yes, absolutely. It would be special," Seto assured her with a kiss. Anastasia kissed back.

"Yes, it would be," Anastasia agreed and felt satisfied with knowing that.

"Thank you so much for being so patient," Seto whispered as he gazed into her crystal blue eyes and caressed her face and back.

"You're welcome. I made a promise, and I am sticking to it," Anastasia told him.

"And I really appreciate it," Seto replied. "You're an angel."

"Only for certain people, like you, Mokuba, and the staff," Anastasia replied. Seto kissed her, and she kissed back. Pretty soon, they drifted off to sleep, with both of them having sex dreams about the other.

* * *

The next morning, Anastasia had woken up at her usual time of 5:00 a.m. only to let Stella out to go potty and to feed her, since that was the time she was used to. She was pretty tired, and decided to let Seto and herself sleep in a bit this morning. The film crew had come but she told them to come back later because she and Stella were going back to bed. They film crew agreed to come back later. Seto had woken up when he realized that she wasn't in his arms and started to freak out a little that she had started training without him. He got up to use the restroom and was looking for something to change into quickly to join her in the garden for training, when he saw her and Stella coming into the room, with her wearing her robe, her nightgown, and slippers.

"Good morning my dragon," Anastasia greeted him with a kiss as Stella lay on her bed.

"Good morning, my angel," Seto said as he realized that they weren't training this morning. "We're not training this morning?"

"Not this morning. I figured we could sleep in a bit this morning," Anastasia replied. Seto relaxed a bit, and was relieved. He was so tired. The sex dreams were really uncomfortable. Anastasia hung up her robe and Seto swept her off her feet and carried her back to bed and held her tight. Anastasia giggled at him picking her up and held on tight to him as they settled back in bed and back to sleep for about 4 more hours, waking up at about 9:30 a.m., feeling a lot more rested now. They greeted each other with a kiss, and took turns using the restroom again, put their robes on and came downstairs to join Mokuba for breakfast. Anastasia had let Stella out once again and then joined her family at the breakfast table, and saw that the crew had returned already, but had been hanging out and started filming when they came downstairs.

"Good morning Seto and Anastasia," Mokuba greeted cheerily, his deep grey eyes shining brightly with excitement for the day ahead.

"Good morning Mokuba," Seto and Anastasia greeted and Rosa served them breakfast, this time with blueberry pancakes, bacon, and scrambled eggs.

"Thank you, Rosa," they told Rosa as usual, and enjoyed breakfast together.

"So, did you enjoy sleeping in?" Mokuba asked.

"Oh yes, we needed it," Anastasia answered.

"Yes, we did," Seto concurred. "It was nice to have that extra bit of rest."

"I bet," Mokuba replied with a warm smile.

"So, what kind of things do you want to do at the carnival?" Anastasia asked him.

"Well I definitely want to ride the rides and maybe play some games," Mokuba answered cheerily.

"Alright, we can do that," Seto consented. Mokuba grinned wider.

"This is going to be so fun!" he exclaimed. They finished their breakfast a few minutes later and took turns getting dressed in their bathroom while the film crew was in the bedroom. They followed them downstairs and into the limo. Edward dropped them off at the entrance of the carnival, they thanked him as usual, and Seto paid for admission and tickets for them to ride the rides and eat the snacks, and the film crew paid for their own admission and some tickets for food and followed them.

"Thank you Seto," Mokuba told him.

"Thank you, dragon," Anastasia thanked him with a peck.

"You're welcome," Seto replied as he put the tickets in his pocket and laced his fingers with Anastasia's as they walked and checked everything out. Anastasia rested her head on his shoulder as they walked, and Seto offered a small smile. He didn't particularly like crowds too much, and thankfully, they stayed a decent distance away from them, but he was enjoying being out and about with Anastasia and Mokuba. They rode a variety of rides, ate corndogs, pretzels, cotton candy, shared a funnel cake, and drank sodas, after riding of course. The crew also got snacks and water and quietly ate theirs as they filmed. They also walked and looked at the games to see what kind of games and prizes looked good.

* * *

Meanwhile…

"Marik, look, is that Seto Kaiba, Mokuba, and Dabria?! And they're being followed by a film crew," Ryou Bakura whispered to his pale blond, tanned-skin, work partner as they sat at a picnic table eating some carnival food. He couldn't believe his chestnut brown eyes. What was Dabria Calaveras, aka "The Angel of Death," doing with Seto and Mokuba Kaiba, and a film crew?

"What?! Impossible! She's supposed to be dead!" Marik Ishtar exclaimed quietly, his violet eyes wide with shock as he looked and saw them. Sure, Dabria looked much different with her scarlet red hair and crystal-blue eyes, compared to the long black hair and dark brown, almost black eyes they remembered her having. The only reason they recognized her at all was because of her scarred left arm and left side of her face. They remembered how terrifying she looked, particularly with those scars. She looked slightly less terrifying now, but she was definitely dangerous. They shuddered involuntarily as they remembered how deadly she was before.

"How is she alive? Mr. Black said he poisoned her and the baby. There was no way she could have survived," Marik texted to Bakura so as not to raise too much suspicion.

"I don't know. And look, she's so…cozy and affectionate to Kaiba and Mokuba, and Kaiba is letting her, and they are being filmed," Bakura replied through text.

"We need to tell Mr. Black immediately," Marik responded. Bakura was already taking pictures of them with his phone, and zoomed in and saw their wedding rings and took a picture.

"They're married!" Bakura texted Marik.

"What?! Seto Kaiba actually MARRIED Dabria?!" Marik texted shocked. Bakura showed him the picture of their wedding rings. "Holy shit!" Marik texted as he saw the picture. She actually got SETO KAIBA, of ALL people, to MARRY her.

"I wonder if she told him about who she really was," Bakura texted back.

"I don't know. I'm curious how they even met," Marik replied.

"I don't know, and it's not like it matters now. We need to show Mr. Black and see what he wants to do," Bakura responded, and then texted Mr. Black, their boss.

"Uh, Mr. Black, what should we do about this?" Bakura asked as he attached the pictures he just took of Dabria, Seto Kaiba, Mokuba Kaiba, and the film crew following them.

When Mr. Black got the text message, he was curious to see what Bakura wanted. Marik and Bakura had finished their assignment of torturing one of his victims already, and gotten paid. Were they looking for another assignment already? When he opened the text message, his golden-hazel eyes widened with shock, almost as if he'd seen a ghost. Dabria was ALIVE, with scarlet hair and crystal blue eyes, and married to Seto Kaiba, the wealthiest and most powerful man in Domino City, and being followed by a film crew. This was impossible! How did she survive?! He was angry with himself for not ensuring that she was dead. She needed to be gotten rid of.

"Hire a team of assassins to take all of them out. I will send you some money," Mr. Black responded as he sent them 500 Million Yen. ($5 million USD approx.)

"What if they fail?" Bakura asked.

"Then you can kill her yourself," Mr. Black replied.

"Oh no, I'm not going up against "The Angel of Death," on my own, and I don't think Marik wants to either," Bakura replied anxiously. That would be suicide, and he wasn't ready to die just yet, nor was Marik.

"Fine, then I will kill her myself, should they fail, and it will be sweet to ensure that I kill her for sure," Mr. Black retorted and was actually excited about taking her down, again, this time for good.

"How many?" Bakura inquired.

"Twenty should be good," Mr. Black suggested. This was going to be hard to find a team that big and formidable enough to take her down. If she was as still sharp as she had been, she'd have no problem taking them down, but hopefully she had slowed down a bit over the years.

"Okay, we'll get to looking," Bakura promised.

"Good! I want status updates every day!" Mr. Black commanded.

"Yes sir," Bakura replied and sighed.

"What did he say?" Marik texted him. Bakura showed him the conversation.

"Twenty assassins? And if they fail, he wants to take her on? Is he insane?" Marik texted him.

"Obviously," Bakura replied.

"This is going to be hard… only the stupidest, greenest, craziest, and most desperate will take her on, and she can lay them out flat pretty quick," Marik replied anxiously and ran his hand through his long, pale blond hair as he was thinking about all this.

"Well, we got to find them," Bakura replied and immediately started looking on the dark web for a team of assassins. They posted in a forum, and got interested replies when the payout looked sweet enough, but then once they said Dabria's name to target her, everyone went quiet in shock and horror, and then started replying "She's ALIVE?" and "Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope… not touching that…", and "Are you insane? There's no way in hell I want to go against "The Angel of Death," even for THAT much money." Then they wished them good luck in finding their team. Bakura and Marik sighed. This was going to be a long mission.

* * *

Meanwhile…

Mokuba had spotted a large Blue Eyes White Dragon plush as a prize in one of the game booths.

"Seto! Anastasia! Look!" Mokuba exclaimed as he showed them. Seto decided to try to win it for Anastasia, and naturally, he did.

"Wow! Thank you, Mon Cher," Anastasia exclaimed as she held the Blue Eyes White Dragon plush and kissed him. Seto smiled proudly into the kiss.

"You're welcome, Cara Mia," he said softly to her. She happily carried the Blue Eyes White Dragon plush in one arm and held Seto's hand with her free hand. Seto and Mokuba smiled at how excited she was. Seto would occasionally steal a kiss from her, and she was only too happy to oblige.

A little while later, they had gone home, and Anastasia had happily put her Blue Eyes White Dragon plush in their room on the couch, and wound down with Seto, Mokuba, and Stella watching a movie they all enjoyed, and eventually the film crew left.

* * *

**A/N:** Well I hope you enjoyed ch. 3! Get ready for a Spah-cy, lemony, ch. 4! Not only that, but there will also be some rough patches ahead. As always, don't forget to review! New reviews= new chapters immediately released.


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